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
-
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:
They intend to recommend a path forward in this fall.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
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
After a serious incident, a committee composed of senior ICE officials and attorneys will review the footage and recommend whether it should be released.
From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026
Geuneulro, named after the Korean term for "shaded road", takes into account the positions of the sun and shadows cast by buildings and trees to recommend the most shaded routes through the city.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
He was so much obliged that he once again mentioned that upon arrival in Kiel he will promptly recommend me for a medal of valor.
From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys
In a burrito city like L.A., prices can range dramatically, such as Burritos La Palma’s $5 homestyle burritos, where the menu recommends ordering two or three per person for a satisfying meal.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026
She often recommends her clients struggling with their cash flow to set a daily spending limit, which of course they’re not mandated to follow.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
In the kitchen, Gruel recommends rubbing it with avocado oil, salt and fresh herbs.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
He recommends getting up early or, if possible, avoiding the hotter months altogether.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Vincent tells Theo to give Bague his best if he sees him, and he recommends two other paintings Bague might like: a vineyard and a night sky.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
“He had a therapist who had come recommended from my therapist,” she says.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
Under the updated rules, associations budgeting less than 15% can still qualify if a reserve study supports it—provided the budget includes the study’s highest recommended reserve allocation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026
On Monday, a spokesperson for London Stadium told BBC News it had "recommended" to West Ham that Sullivan does not attend matches because of concerns about fan unrest.
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2026
"The members recommended Ervebo, the only licensed Ebola vaccine, be prioritised for inclusion in a randomised clinical trial in the context of the ongoing outbreak," a WHO statement said.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
They were recommended for it—after their heroic service at Voronezh, they got special Guards uniforms ordered for them.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
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
Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, said on Friday that the platform would stop recommending "wholly AI-generated videos" in its popular Spotlight feed in favour of "authentic, human-made content."
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
The European steel and metal processor views the U.S. company’s intentions as broadly positive, but stopped short of recommending acceptance of the offer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026
The Mosses’ licensing file was filled with reports calling them “model” foster parents and recommending they get more children.
From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
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.
