recipient
Americannoun
adjective
noun
adjective
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”; 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.
On platforms like WhatsApp, where messages are protected by end-to-end encryption and can only be read by the sender and recipient, monitoring content is inherently difficult.
From BBC • Apr. 23, 2026
Swalwell’s attorney Elias Dabaie of the law firm Dabaie Kelley, in Los Angeles, confirmed Friday that he sent the cease and desist letter, which tells the recipient that they could be sued for defamation.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026
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
Only two copies of the one-time pads existed: one held by the sender, and the other by the recipient of the message.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
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.
