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
-
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
-
have been recommendingperfect progressive
-
has been recommendingperfect progressive
Past
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recommendedsimple
-
had recommendedperfect
-
was recommendingprogressive
-
were recommendingprogressive
-
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:
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
“We recommend saving up for a larger down payment, as much as possible, for as long as possible.”
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
Overall, she wouldn't recommend vaping to her clients.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
The idea that AI agents could level the playing field in consumer finances relies on the assumption that bots will recommend the best product or money-saving tactic.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
A week earlier, while vacationing in Slovenia, he'd ordered a pizza that the English-speaking waiter had strenuously recommend he avoid.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
It also recommends limiting butter/margarine, cheese, red meat, pastries/sweets, and fried fast foods.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026
Lacalle recommends an overweight exposure to the U.S. and technology — basically to the AI theme.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 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
He recommends investors build a well-diversified portfolio but stay away from interest-rate-sensitive investments.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
Our medic recommends complete bed rest for you.
From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles
Scalia recommended that the attorney stick to those precedents.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
An independent Charter Reform Commission recommended changes to improve the way the city governs itself, but it was ultimately the City Council that approved placing measures on the ballot.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Brady says the findings nevertheless show why clinicians should follow recommended measurement procedures more carefully.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 1, 2026
And the committee recommended that the BBC is given new public purposes relating to innovation and technology and combating misinformation and disinformation.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
“Well, I believe so,” he said, “but it is best not to make substitutions for the recommended foods. That would throw the whole thing off.”
From "When I Was Puerto Rican" by Esmeralda Santiago
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
The strategists said that they remain “max overweight” on equities, recommending leaning into the technology sector, especially in the U.S. and Asia, and European banks.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
On Saturday Transport Scotland posted on X on that Google Maps was falsely reporting the A9 as closed and was recommending an "inconvenient alternate route" when it remained open.
From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026
Consumers share tips on how to “sleepmaxx” on social media, recommending devices, from wearables to smart mattresses and alarm clocks, along with DIY remedies like “sleepy girl mocktail” concoctions containing magnesium.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 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.
