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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
This Week In Words: March 29–April 4, 2020
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Tinker v. Des Moines": Excerpts from Justice Fortas's Opinion
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
The Nobel Prize in literature has always been highly Eurocentric, so it is odd that the Netherlands has never fielded a recipient.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026
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
“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’ll get to save myself the embarrassment of being the only moonstone badge recipient to fail a tryout and be sent home.
From "Amari and the Night Brothers" by B.B. Alston
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
Grant recipients must ensure mental-health consultations are available at least once a month and ensure “collaborative relationships and partnerships with community organizations” that administer welfare programs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 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
It can also be much more expensive to deliver eldercare if the care recipients are spread out over many miles of roads.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026
They learned about the rights of welfare recipients, about housing codes, about how to prod the city council and various governmental agencies.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
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.
