recommendation
Americannoun
-
recommendations
plural
-
an act of recommending.
-
a letter or the like recommending a person or thing.
-
representation in favor of a person or thing.
-
anything that serves to recommend a person or thing, or induce acceptance or favor.
noun
-
the act of recommending
-
something that recommends, esp a letter presenting someone as suitable for a job, etc
-
something that is recommended, such as a course of action
Usage
Spelling tips for recommendation The word recommendation is hard to spell because it is tricky to know whether the c, the m, and/or the d is doubled. How to spell recommendation: The easiest way to remember how to spell recommend is to break it into three parts: re - com - mend - ation. You can keep the first three sections in mind with the sentence: "I recommend that you rely commonly on mending." The suffix -ation is used to indicate nouns of action and appears in many other words, like starvation and regulation.
Synonym Usage
See advice.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of recommendation
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English recommendacion, from Medieval Latin recommendātiōn-, stem of recommendātiō, from recommendāt(us) (past participle of recommendāre; see recommend) + -iō -ion
Explanation
If you give someone a recommendation, you're saying, "try this, it's good" or "this is the best way to proceed," or "this person will do a great job." The noun recommendation stems from the Middle Latin word recommend, meaning "praise" or "present as worthy." Policy makers have made a strong recommendation to implement renewable energy initiatives to alleviate our dependence on fossil fuels. It used to be that you carried a letter of recommendation from a prominent person and used it as an introduction to polite society in an unfamiliar place, but nowadays, such a letter simply explains why someone is qualified for a particular job or school.
Vocabulary lists containing recommendation
CTE Cosmetology (Milady), Vocabulary from Part 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!
Conventions, Writing, and Speaking & Listening, Unit 1
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!
"Modern Automotive Technology," Vocabulary from Section 7
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:
He added: "If she is innocent, as I believe, as 30-odd experts believe, then everything that has gone before the inquiry and every recommendation has operated on the wrong premise."
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
I invested in a cryptocurrency-trading exchange on the recommendation of an executive vice president of a major New York investment bank.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026
There’s a recommendation by the committee for Kasek to return in 2027 to evaluate whether the third year of the playoff ban should be eliminated.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026
RBC starts coverage on Roche with an outperform recommendation and a target price of 400 Swiss francs.Shares fall 0.8% to 347.70 francs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
Because I had always noticed this house, I found it remarkable when, through the recommendation of a casual acquaintance, the new owner hired me to work three days a week as her personal assistant.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
Among the recommendations made in the report was putting an end to the use of the small metal enclosures, greater access to showers for inmates and more recreation time.
From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026
So he’ll trust the stores in New York or maybe receive recommendations from teammates once the snow comes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026
In 2024, Knight co-authored a maternal mortality report that focused on those deaths and offered policy recommendations.
From Salon ● Sep. 13, 2026
To a human player, some of the strategy's recommendations might initially seem strange or even random.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 12, 2026
Book recommendations are listed in columns down the sides of each page.
From "The Sea in Winter" by Christine Day
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.
