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:
I was surprised by his meniscus-only recommendation, especially because the other three surgeons had breezily recommended the full reconstruction.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
"The general recommendation is that there should be no demonstrations. Those who want to continue to demonstrate, when they are trade union organisations, will have alternative routes proposed by the prefects," the French president announced.
From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026
However, fewer than one in five older adults meet the recommendation to perform muscle strengthening activities at least twice a week.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 21, 2026
DHS issued the order under the Federal Acquisition Supply Chain Security Act of 2018, following a review of a recommendation and supporting evidence from the Federal Acquisition Security Council.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026
SABIO, IAN: What happens if their recommendation is to dismantle the STM and leave Ridge out there?
From "The First State of Being" by Erin Entrada Kelly
Here are some recommendations for what to read, watch, and cook this evening that my colleagues are pretty confident won’t fall outside your margin of error:
From Slate ● Oct. 22, 2026
NHS Lothian said it had carried out a full investigation into Flora's care, and that recommendations had been acted upon and communicated to her family.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
The results also align with existing dietary recommendations for colorectal cancer prevention, which encourage eating whole grains, fiber, dairy products, and calcium-rich foods while limiting processed meat.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 21, 2026
Citi also starts coverage on Germany’s Springer Nature and CTS Eventim with buy and neutral recommendations, respectively.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
A frequent visitor to the Library of Congress, Garfield asked the librarians for book recommendations, which he borrowed or purchased to expand his knowledge of history, philosophy, and other subjects.
From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
