recommendation
Americannoun
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recommendations
plural
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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:
“And it sounded like she was watching based on a recommendation, which meant somebody else was watching too. I took that as a good sign.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 17, 2026
Disclosure: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer or solicitation to buy or sell any security.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 15, 2026
A trust spokesperson said the recommendation, which would still see elective surgery delivered at Causeway, was aimed at ensuring it "can continue to deliver a safe, stable and sustainable service".
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
It starts with sponsorship from two current members, and letters of recommendation from five others.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
As soon as his mother figures out how he’s finding solace, she brings him home the first book in the Bloodfall series from a shopping trip to Nashville, a recommendation from a bookstore employee.
From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner
In evidence presented to the inquiry, he said he had submitted three separate formal situation, background, assessment and recommendations, known as SBARs, relating to the QEUH.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
That’s because this diet goes far beyond making dietary recommendations.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 2026
Any association between these vaccines and autism has been thoroughly debunked, and all the major medical and scientific associations immediately issued statements that they would not follow these recommendations.
From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026
Spotify said it will start labeling AI-generated artists and avoid promoting them in its algorithmic recommendations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
It was nearly impossible to get into the country without either a sponsor or stunning professional recommendations.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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.
