recommend
Americanverb (used with object)
-
recommends,
present (3rd person singular)
-
recommended,
past participle, past
-
recommending
present participle
-
to present as worthy of confidence, acceptance, use, etc.; commend; mention favorably.
to recommend an applicant for a job; to recommend a book.
- Antonyms:
- condemn
-
to represent or urge as advisable or expedient.
to recommend caution.
-
to advise, as an alternative; suggest (a choice, course of action, etc.) as appropriate, beneficial, or the like.
He recommended the blue-plate special. The doctor recommended special exercises for her.
- Synonyms:
- counsel
-
to make desirable or attractive.
a plan that has very little to recommend it.
verb (used without object)
-
recommends,
present (3rd person singular)
-
recommended,
past participle, past
-
recommending
present participle
noun
verb
-
(may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to advise as the best course or choice; counsel
to recommend prudence
-
to praise or commend
to recommend a new book
-
to make attractive or advisable
the trip has little to recommend it
-
archaic to entrust (a person or thing) to someone else's care; commend
Usage
Spelling tips for recommend The word recommend is hard to spell because it is tricky to know whether the c, the m, and/or the n is doubled. How to spell recommend: The easiest way to remember how to spell recommend is to break it into three parts: re - com - mend. You can keep these three sections in mind with the sentence: "I recommend that you rely commonly on mending."
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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recommendernoun
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prerecommendverb (used with object)
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recommendableadjective
-
unrecommendableadjective
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unrecommendedadjective
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well-recommendedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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recommendsimple
-
recommendssimple
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have recommendedperfect
-
has recommendedperfect
-
am recommendingprogressive
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are recommendingprogressive
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is recommendingprogressive
-
have been recommendingperfect progressive
-
has been recommendingperfect progressive
Past
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recommendedsimple
-
had recommendedperfect
-
was recommendingprogressive
-
were recommendingprogressive
-
had been recommendingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of recommend
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English recommenden, from Medieval Latin recommendāre; equivalent to re- + commend
Explanation
If you recommend a person or thing is to vouch for them. Recommend can also be to advise. If your doctor recommended an exercise program to you that's changed your life, you might recommend your doctor to your friends. Recommend is connected to the verb commend "to praise." They are both spelled with one c and two m's, reflecting the prefixes re- and com-. These verbs overlap in some uses: you can recommend or commend an applicant for employment. But commend is used for special or public praise: "He was commended for bravery."
Vocabulary lists containing recommend
Excerpt from "Bad Boy"
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"the insanity of selling junk food"
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Encourage
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Barclays continues to recommend a portfolio with a balanced sector allocation, especially as they no longer view AI stocks as a “one-way trade.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
Marsh will recommend that clients seek cover elsewhere if an insurer imposes AI exclusions, the letter said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
There are really three things we recommend in the very short term.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
Some dermatologists recommend birth control, which can help stabilize hormones, or treatments such as spironolactone.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
She also wanted us to recommend topics for future discussions.
From "Thirteen Reasons Why" by Jay Asher
The utility recommends setting air conditioners to 78 degrees, closing curtains during peak sun hours and using fans to circulate the air.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 17, 2026
The London-headquartered bank recommends holding on to big tech stocks ahead of their earnings, but has a preference for companies with strong business models.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026
While 30 seconds of audio can be enough to recreate a voice, the company recommends between 30 minutes and an hour of recording for the best-quality clones.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
Kaiser hence recommends buying IWM call options ahead of CPI data.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026
Gachet recommends an inn, but Vincent prefers the less expensive Auberge Ravoux.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
Only around 1993 did that accuracy begin to falter and the global population began falling behind the forecasts — because the world began to do what von Foerster and his colleagues recommended it do.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 17, 2026
We’ll soon get a better understanding of those injuries, and whether rest, rehabilitation and/or surgery might be recommended for each one.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2026
The task force recommended against prostate-specific antigen tests in 2012—on the theory that it could turn up false positives and that slow-growing tumors are unlikely to kill patients.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
It recorded levels of tiny particulates capable of penetrating the bloodstream and lungs, known as PM2.5, at 288 micrograms per cubic metre, vastly exceeding the World Health Organization's recommended average annual exposure of five micrograms.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
They were still quite capable of wiping the floor up with me, so I kept my distance and recommended that the other rocket boys not tease them either.
From "October Sky" by Homer Hickam
Amid the 2026 Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, videos of a doctor recommending Vitamin D3 and zinc spread from accounts selling supplements, despite these being unable to treat the disease.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
Howard said Monday that he’s recommending clients use a bond “ladder” strategy to seize the opportunity by buying individual bonds, mutual funds or exchange-traded funds, with a range of short to intermediate maturities.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
The director would be able to manage public works projects, including construction, buying or leasing property, exercising eminent domain with City Council approval, granting street permits, regulating parking and recommending budgets for the department.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Many advisers are recommending short- and intermediate-term maturities over longer-term ones.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026
Deacon Hurd had it all arranged: a typed-up agenda, a written-out prayer—and the formal deacon’s letter to the congregation recommending that First Congregational dismiss Reverend Turner Buckminster from its pulpit.
From "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by Gary D. Schmidt
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
