recipient
Americannoun
-
recipients
plural
adjective
noun
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of recipient
First recorded in 1550–60; from Latin recipient-, stem of recipiēns “receiving,” present participle of recipere “to receive”; see receive
Explanation
A recipient is the person on the receiving end of something. Meryl Streep is the recipient of more Academy Award nominations than any other actor. Just as an actor can be the recipient of a prize for acting, a banker can be the recipient of a bonus for good banking. You'll notice the connection between recipient and receive. In order to be a recipient you have to receive something, whether it's a prize or just a letter in the mail. If it's true that it's better to give than to receive, does that mean it's better to be a giver than a recipient?
Vocabulary lists containing recipient
Academy Awards, List 1
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This Week In Words: March 29–April 4, 2020
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"Tinker v. Des Moines": Excerpts from Justice Fortas's Opinion
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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:
It can attach to the first molecule it encounters, even if that molecule would not normally be the preferred electron recipient based on its ability to stabilize the added electron.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026
She says processing her feelings first and then smoothing out the language teed her up for a more productive dialogue with the recipient.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
“The recipient may be wealthier, but may also face substantially higher taxes, Medicare costs and administrative responsibilities at a stage of life when simplicity matters most.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 18, 2026
You are not a spectator to American democracy, and you are not a passive recipient of American constitutional meaning.
From Slate ● Jul. 18, 2026
I told Mimi we must try not to think about you, and yet here I am choosing you as the recipient of all my secrets.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
Entities controlled by Amistad, including Amistad Merchant Funding, Amistad STF II and Amistad Debt Warehouse 1, were among the recipients of loans from Walter’s insurers Delaware Life and Clear Spring, according to their recent filings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
The impersonation was targeted at her personal phone, not government phone, but recipients included US senators, governors and top business executives.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
Pay raise: Social Security recipients will get more money next year.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
Between September 2025 and June, 246 scholarship recipients from Gaza were flown to Italy and San Marino in a series of evacuations through Italy's "IUPALS" program for Palestinian students, according to the foreign ministry.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
“The three recipients of honorable mention ribbons—Siraj Shah, Emily Bleiberg, and, of course, Ainsley Braden-Hammerschmidt—shall be declared the three co-winners.”
From "Shine!" by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein
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.
