recipe

American  

[res-uh-pee] / ˈrɛs ə pi /

noun

1. a set of instructions for making or preparing something, especially a food dish.

   a recipe for a cake.

2. a medical prescription.

3. a method to attain a desired end.

   a recipe for success.

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recipe British  

/ ˈrɛsɪpɪ /

noun

1. a list of ingredients and directions for making something, esp a food preparation

2. med (formerly) a medical prescription

3. a method for achieving some desired objective

   a recipe for success

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Etymology

Origin of recipe

1350–1400; Middle English < Latin: take, imperative singular of recipere to receive

Example Sentences

But even with original documents, said François Kervyn de Meerendré, the Belgian museum’s head of geology, “it’s not a magic recipe where you find maps for lithium or gold. It gives you some indication.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 28, 2026

By 1952, Haagy had figured out the smog recipe: Start with the dirty leftovers of burning fossil fuel from factories, oil refineries, and the unburned gas exhaust from cars and trucks.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

It’s a recipe for a mess, as all reconciliation bills—successful and unsuccessful—are.

From Slate • Mar. 24, 2026

Stagflation is a period of little or no economic growth and high inflation, which poses a quandary for central bankers as raising interest rates to reduce inflation is a sure recipe to trigger a recession.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

I'm sure Kendra's recipe is still a secret, Nancy thought.

From "Scream for Ice Cream: Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew, #2" by Carolyn Keene

Related Words

• method
• prescription
• program
• technique