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
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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
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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
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unrecommendableadjective
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unrecommendedadjective
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well-recommendedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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recommendsimple
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recommendssimple
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have recommendedperfect
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has recommendedperfect
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am recommendingprogressive
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are recommendingprogressive
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is recommendingprogressive
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have been recommendingperfect progressive
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has been recommendingperfect progressive
Past
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recommendedsimple
-
had recommendedperfect
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was recommendingprogressive
-
were recommendingprogressive
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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
"the insanity of selling junk food"
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Excerpt from "Bad Boy"
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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:
Your investment strategy — including your 90% allocation to equities and a current withdrawal rate of about 5% — is considerably more aggressive than many financial planners recommend for retirees.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 8, 2026
So while mFlusiva has the FDA’s blessing, Kennedy’s handpicked panel could still recommend that only a subset of Americans—say, people with compromised immune systems—get it.
From Slate ● Aug. 6, 2026
CVC and Veritas are separately offering around 1.56 billion pounds to take the heat-treatment company private, and Bodycote’s board said it would likely recommend both to shareholders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
But “The Real Food Show” cannot recommend a salad dressing without first convening a tribunal.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
Several other companies, such as the Great Western Spinach Growers’ Association and the Energetic Breakfast Oats Company, wanted him to recommend their product, too, and offered him large sums of cash.
From "Mr. Popper's Penguins" by Florence Atwater and Richard Atwater
She says shorts are "the trickiest item to get right in a professional environment" and recommends tailored, longer shorts paired with a crisp shirt or lightweight blazer for both men and women.
From BBC ● Aug. 5, 2026
In the kitchen, Gruel recommends rubbing it with avocado oil, salt and fresh herbs.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
For beginners, Papas recommends sticking to bike paths and joining cycling groups.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
CMS recommends that the number of hours should vary, depending on patients’ needs, and says research shows that “intervention intensity and frequency are not correlated with improvement in outcomes.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Lighthouse International recommends 16 to 18 point font depending upon typefaces.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
Others have questioned recommended vaccines because AI validated their hesitancy, he added.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Plans to extend a scheme that provides free activities and meals to children during school holidays have been recommended for approval.
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
"The boards.. are pleased to announce that they have reached agreement on the terms and conditions of a recommended cash acquisition," EasyJet, which flies mainly across Europe, said in a statement.
From Barron's ● Aug. 6, 2026
“Those who have had measles in the past or received the recommended measles vaccine are likely protected but should still monitor for symptoms.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
He recommended that Ned also consider insuring Pearl’s life and offered to pay the initial premiums.
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Others have been quoting Clement Attlee, recommending "a period of silence".
From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026
His videos don’t stop at recommending where to eat.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026
Although NDR’s longer-term growth-versus-value models now favor value by the widest margin in five years, the firm isn’t recommending investors rush into the trade.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 4, 2026
“We could even be recommending soon that people have coffee.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Diana tried to help, recommending that I apply for a free treatment program at a trauma center in Manhattan.
From "How Dare the Sun Rise" by Sandra Uwiringiyimana
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
