recreation
Americannoun
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refreshment by means of some pastime, agreeable exercise, or the like.
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a pastime, diversion, exercise, or other resource affording relaxation and enjoyment.
noun
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refreshment of health or spirits by relaxation and enjoyment
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an activity or pastime that promotes this
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an interval of free time between school lessons
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( as modifier )
recreation period
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Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of recreation
1350–1400; Middle English recreacioun (< Middle French recreation ) < Latin recreātiōn- (stem of recreātiō ) restoration, recovery, equivalent to recreāt ( us ) ( see recreate) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
The word recreation is a noun meaning just about anything you do for fun: bowling, flying a model airplane, or just swimming the English Channel. If you do it to relax, recharge your batteries, or just to amuse yourself, it's probably recreation. You might think by looking at the word that recreation means remaking something, and, in a sense you'd be right. A person involved in recreation is "re-creating" themselves. The whole point of recreation, as the original Latin word recreare implies, is to refresh and renew. After a week behind a desk, you might be feeling worn down and tired. A weekend of recreation will help bring you back to life. So get out there and do the things you love to do!
Vocabulary lists containing recreation
One Crazy Summer
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"Handle with Care"
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Sports and Hobbies
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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.
Among the recommendations made in the report was putting an end to the use of the small metal enclosures, greater access to showers for inmates and more recreation time.
From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026
The school also has a new lawn for recreation and instruction, along with stormwater capture features and solar-reflective basketball and handball courts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
Spotting a camera along the route her children walk to school gave her pause; seeing one go up in front of her community recreation center made her act.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026
Orlando also ranked high in terms of recreational activities for retirees, coming in second for recreation overall with a high number of music venues, fishing facilities, art galleries and adult volunteer activities.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026
Four of the five Levittown pools have met the same fate, with their grounds converted to “passive recreation areas.”
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
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.
