recommend
Americanverb (used with object)
-
recommends,
present (3rd person singular)
-
recommended,
past participle, past
-
recommending
present participle
-
to present as worthy of confidence, acceptance, use, etc.; commend; mention favorably.
to recommend an applicant for a job; to recommend a book.
- Antonyms:
- condemn
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to represent or urge as advisable or expedient.
to recommend caution.
-
to advise, as an alternative; suggest (a choice, course of action, etc.) as appropriate, beneficial, or the like.
He recommended the blue-plate special. The doctor recommended special exercises for her.
- Synonyms:
- counsel
-
to make desirable or attractive.
a plan that has very little to recommend it.
verb (used without object)
-
recommends,
present (3rd person singular)
-
recommended,
past participle, past
-
recommending
present participle
noun
verb
-
(may take a clause as object or an infinitive) to advise as the best course or choice; counsel
to recommend prudence
-
to praise or commend
to recommend a new book
-
to make attractive or advisable
the trip has little to recommend it
-
archaic to entrust (a person or thing) to someone else's care; commend
Usage
Spelling tips for recommend The word recommend is hard to spell because it is tricky to know whether the c, the m, and/or the n is doubled. How to spell recommend: The easiest way to remember how to spell recommend is to break it into three parts: re - com - mend. You can keep these three sections in mind with the sentence: "I recommend that you rely commonly on mending."
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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recommendernoun
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prerecommendverb (used with object)
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recommendableadjective
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unrecommendableadjective
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unrecommendedadjective
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well-recommendedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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recommendsimple
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recommendssimple
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have recommendedperfect
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has recommendedperfect
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am recommendingprogressive
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are recommendingprogressive
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is recommendingprogressive
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have been recommendingperfect progressive
-
has been recommendingperfect progressive
Past
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recommendedsimple
-
had recommendedperfect
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was recommendingprogressive
-
were recommendingprogressive
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had been recommendingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of recommend
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English recommenden, from Medieval Latin recommendāre; equivalent to re- + commend
Explanation
If you recommend a person or thing is to vouch for them. Recommend can also be to advise. If your doctor recommended an exercise program to you that's changed your life, you might recommend your doctor to your friends. Recommend is connected to the verb commend "to praise." They are both spelled with one c and two m's, reflecting the prefixes re- and com-. These verbs overlap in some uses: you can recommend or commend an applicant for employment. But commend is used for special or public praise: "He was commended for bravery."
Vocabulary lists containing recommend
Excerpt from "Bad Boy"
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"the insanity of selling junk food"
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Encourage
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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:
But he performed well enough in 2017 for Avilla to recommend him for a spot that summer on a squad in the Alaska Baseball League.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
“I also looked at just how happy UPSers were, and we do a culture survey every year, and we measure happiness along a number of factors, and it rolls up into a ‘likelihood to recommend.’
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
If a role does open up, people are much more likely to recommend you if you’ve put effort into maintaining your relationship.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026
These guidelines require several blood pressure measurements to confirm a diagnosis and recommend lifestyle changes before medication in some cases.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026
“Data scientists analyze data, separate the noise from the signal, discern patterns, draw conclusions, and recommend actions based on the results.”
From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon
It also recommends limiting butter/margarine, cheese, red meat, pastries/sweets, and fried fast foods.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026
BlackRock’s Rick Rieder sees opportunity in bonds, while Ray Dalio recommends caution.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
In a statement on its website, the agency "strongly recommends to holders of trademarks, slogans, company names and others who do not yet own a .si domain that they register one as soon as possible".
From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026
So consumer group Which? also recommends keeping an eye on any exit fees when picking a fixed deal.
From BBC ● Sep. 28, 2026
They simulate a conversation, as classic style recommends, and they are gifts to the memory-challenged reader.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
At Southwark Crown Court, Mrs Justice Cutts said Safi, an Afghan refugee, had been "in a psychotic state" and recommended that he be deported, but said the final decision rested with the Home Secretary.
From BBC ● Oct. 5, 2026
Katz recommended Junger get fired so she would “not have to pay out.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
Noting what he described as "absolutely exemplary cooperation with the United States", the prosecutor had recommended granting the request for closed-door proceedings so as not to jeopardise that cooperation.
From Barron's ● Oct. 5, 2026
Skin-cancer risk climbs with age, but screening is not widely recommended.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
“Mr. Wingfield most strenuously recommended it, sir—or we should not have gone. He recommended it for all the children, but particularly for the weakness in little Bella’s throat,—both sea air and bathing.”
From "Emma" by Jane Austen
Howard said Monday that he’s recommending clients use a bond “ladder” strategy to seize the opportunity by buying individual bonds, mutual funds or exchange-traded funds, with a range of short to intermediate maturities.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
The director would be able to manage public works projects, including construction, buying or leasing property, exercising eminent domain with City Council approval, granting street permits, regulating parking and recommending budgets for the department.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Clinicians therefore tend to focus on treating underlying conditions and recommending lifestyle changes, including weight loss and better blood sugar control.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 28, 2026
Last month, Shawn Plummer, who sells annuities through an online platform called The Annuity Expert, told his two salespeople to stop recommending Delaware Life or Clear Spring policies to prospective customers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
Victor was proud of his achievement, and went about recommending it and urging everyone to partake of it to excess.
From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin
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.
