recommendation
Americannoun
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an act of recommending.
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a letter or the like recommending a person or thing.
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representation in favor of a person or thing.
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anything that serves to recommend a person or thing, or induce acceptance or favor.
noun
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the act of recommending
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something that recommends, esp a letter presenting someone as suitable for a job, etc
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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
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Conventions, Writing, and Speaking & Listening, Unit 1
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"Modern Automotive Technology," Vocabulary from Section 7
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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:
Families living in rural parts of the West Midlands have welcomed a recommendation to bring protections for heating oil customers in line with those connected to the grid.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
MWB downgrades Delivery Hero stock recommendation to sell from hold.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
The researchers emphasize that these findings should not be interpreted as a recommendation to chew sugary gum as a way to control blood pressure.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 15, 2026
The county counsel’s office has not changed its position amid the litigation or in light of the grand jury’s recommendation.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026
To Louisa Safechuck, those fragments wouldn’t have read like a recommendation.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
"We thank the coroner and the jury for their thoroughness and fully accept their findings and recommendations."
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
The sheer reach of the Cyclospora parasite indicates other contributors at play, and despite expert recommendations to the contrary, it’s already fomenting a mild panic over produce.
From Slate ● Jul. 17, 2026
"Countries now have clear, evidence-based recommendations they can put into practice immediately to protect people's cognitive health."
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
The researchers noted that "geographical regions influence the risk of GI cancers," suggesting that regional differences should be considered when making dietary recommendations.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026
It lent credibility to his recommendations of the others.
From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis
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.
