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Synonyms

recipient

American  
[ri-sip-ee-uhnt] / rɪˈsɪp i ənt /

noun

  1. a person or thing that receives; receiver.

    the recipient of a prize.

adjective

  1. receiving or capable of receiving.

recipient British  
/ rɪˈsɪpɪənt /

noun

  1. a person who or thing that receives

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. a less common word for receptive

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • nonrecipient adjective
  • unrecipient adjective

Etymology

Origin of recipient

First recorded in 1550–60; from Latin recipient-, stem of recipiēns “receiving,” present participle of recipere “to receive”; receive

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.

The Australian Federal Police said they arrested a 47-year-old former Australian soldier, who was widely named in local media as Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

They build in operational transparency, which allows users to peek behind the curtain and be a part of how something works, not just a recipient of it.

From Slate • Apr. 4, 2026

The heir has no freedom to designate the recipient of the disclaimed asset, as in, “I want this disclaimed amount to go to person X but not person Y.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026

The recipient is expected to wear the shoes and perform gratitude.

From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026

The new philosophers regarded matter as the passive recipient of a divine shaping and denied the existence of Aristotelian forms.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

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.