recommendation
Americannoun
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recommendations
plural
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an act of recommending.
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a letter or the like recommending a person or thing.
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representation in favor of a person or thing.
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anything that serves to recommend a person or thing, or induce acceptance or favor.
noun
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the act of recommending
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something that recommends, esp a letter presenting someone as suitable for a job, etc
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something that is recommended, such as a course of action
Usage
Spelling tips for recommendation The word recommendation is hard to spell because it is tricky to know whether the c, the m, and/or the d is doubled. How to spell recommendation: The easiest way to remember how to spell recommend is to break it into three parts: re - com - mend - ation. You can keep the first three sections in mind with the sentence: "I recommend that you rely commonly on mending." The suffix -ation is used to indicate nouns of action and appears in many other words, like starvation and regulation.
Synonym Usage
See advice.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of recommendation
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English recommendacion, from Medieval Latin recommendātiōn-, stem of recommendātiō, from recommendāt(us) (past participle of recommendāre; see recommend) + -iō -ion
Explanation
If you give someone a recommendation, you're saying, "try this, it's good" or "this is the best way to proceed," or "this person will do a great job." The noun recommendation stems from the Middle Latin word recommend, meaning "praise" or "present as worthy." Policy makers have made a strong recommendation to implement renewable energy initiatives to alleviate our dependence on fossil fuels. It used to be that you carried a letter of recommendation from a prominent person and used it as an introduction to polite society in an unfamiliar place, but nowadays, such a letter simply explains why someone is qualified for a particular job or school.
Vocabulary lists containing recommendation
CTE Cosmetology (Milady), Vocabulary from Part 1
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Conventions, Writing, and Speaking & Listening, Unit 1
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"Modern Automotive Technology," Vocabulary from Section 7
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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:
Pauling’s recommendation for good health, at around 1,000–2,000mg a day, is around the upper limit of what’s now considered safe to consume.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 26, 2026
Only then did I realize this wasn’t simply a recommendation screen.
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026
The Cambridge-based pharmaceutical company said Monday that the decision is based on the recommendation of the Independent Data Monitoring Committee after a planned review of trial data.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
Then I began to go through my opening lines again—and Jennifer's, when Julie sweetly asks Miss Ornsby, her English teacher, if she can write a recommendation for Julie's college application.
From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English
Kennedy in particular has been invested in defending the honor of red meat, repeatedly arguing, against standard medical recommendations, that diets high in animal fat are good for you.
From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2026
Several coroners have warned about the dangers posed by these batteries and have issued at least five Prevention of Future Deaths reports since 2023, with recommendations to improve public safety.
From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026
In Los Angeles, the Department of Transportation has been tasked with looking into ways it can regulate e-bikes and has been asked to return to the City Council’s Rules Committee in September with recommendations.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026
His recommendations were said to be initially from one placebo-controlled trial in children on a ski camp in the Swiss Alps.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 27, 2026
Outside, as I’m dropping off the food, the grandparents’ jokes and laughter rise, along with grumbling about medical dietary recommendations.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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.
