recommendation

American  

[rek-uh-men-dey-shuhn, -muhn-] / ˌrɛk ə mɛnˈdeɪ ʃən, -mən- /

noun

• recommendations
  plural

1. an act of recommending.

2. a letter or the like recommending a person or thing.

3. representation in favor of a person or thing.

4. anything that serves to recommend a person or thing, or induce acceptance or favor.

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recommendation British  

/ ˌrɛkəmɛnˈdeɪʃən /

noun

1. the act of recommending

2. something that recommends, esp a letter presenting someone as suitable for a job, etc

3. something that is recommended, such as a course of action

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Usage

Spelling tips for recommendation The word recommendation is hard to spell because it is tricky to know whether the c, the m, and/or the d is doubled. How to spell recommendation: The easiest way to remember how to spell recommend is to break it into three parts: re - com - mend - ation. You can keep the first three sections in mind with the sentence: "I recommend that you rely commonly on mending." The suffix -ation is used to indicate nouns of action and appears in many other words, like starvation and regulation.

Synonym Usage

See advice.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• prerecommendation
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• recommendations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of recommendation

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English recommendacion, from Medieval Latin recommendātiōn-, stem of recommendātiō, from recommendāt(us) (past participle of recommendāre; see recommend) + -iō -ion

Explanation

If you give someone a recommendation, you're saying, "try this, it's good" or "this is the best way to proceed," or "this person will do a great job." The noun recommendation stems from the Middle Latin word recommend, meaning "praise" or "present as worthy." Policy makers have made a strong recommendation to implement renewable energy initiatives to alleviate our dependence on fossil fuels. It used to be that you carried a letter of recommendation from a prominent person and used it as an introduction to polite society in an unfamiliar place, but nowadays, such a letter simply explains why someone is qualified for a particular job or school.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

recommendation recommendations

Raising their recommendation on the stock to overweight from equal-weight, MS analysts tell clients that the Australia-listed company’s expansion from its core network-as-a-service capabilities means it is now a capital-intensive artificial-intelligence infrastructure and computing provider.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Only then did I realize this wasn’t simply a recommendation screen.

From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026

The European Commission endorsed that recommendation earlier this month.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

Disclosure: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026

So, I filled out my application, collected my letters of recommendation, and sent in a recording of my playing.

From "If I Stay" by Gayle Forman

Nice guidance applies to the NHS in England, but the NHS in Wales also frequently follows its recommendations.

From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026

Let’s do some fun math instead—like how these recommendations from my colleagues might add up to an enjoyable evening for you:

From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026

Additional research will be necessary before the findings can be used to shape dietary recommendations.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 19, 2026

It remained unclear when the committee would release its recommendations.

From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026

The ANC denounced the report of the Tomlinson Commission, despite some of its more liberal recommendations.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela

Related Words

• charge
• endorsement
• guidance
• instruction
• judgment
• order
• proposal
• proposition
• sanction
• suggestion
• support