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
-
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
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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:
So, a little disclosure before we get into it: Nobody is paying me to recommend these products, and neither Salon nor I will earn money from these recommendations.
From Salon ● Nov. 5, 2026
For that reason, the new guidelines do not recommend phage therapy as a routine treatment for bacterial infections.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 5, 2026
"If you are going to do a test where you cannot recommend an action to follow, we would not normally recommend a test."
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
For now, while exploration is ongoing into whether approving the vaccine to younger populations is warranted, doctors recommend paying close attention to any itchy patches, even areas of skin with no visible rash.
From Slate ● Nov. 1, 2026
On that day she asked the librarian to recommend a book.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
The 2025 Focused Update of the 2019 ESC/EAS Guidelines for the management of dyslipidemias recommends considering increased coronary calcium scores, when available, as an additional factor in cardiovascular risk assessment.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2026
A model that’s sold out at one dealership could be available somewhere else, so he recommends looking in different locations as well as online.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026
The council recommends; the General Assembly, representing all 193 member states, appoints.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
It also recommends that, when possible, advice from the home team's safety officer can be sought.
From BBC ● Oct. 27, 2026
Vincent tells Theo to give Bague his best if he sees him, and he recommends two other paintings Bague might like: a vineyard and a night sky.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
"All high-caffeine beverages carry a 'not recommended for children' label. The available evidence shows that the vast majority of caffeine consumed by children and adolescents comes from sources other than energy drinks."
From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026
This guidance applies particularly to people at moderate cardiovascular risk or those whose estimated risk falls near the threshold at which preventive medication would normally be recommended.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 6, 2026
When we moved into the area, a lot of our friends that already lived there recommended Brent’s to us.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026
Of the four breaks he recommended, three were marked emergencies only.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
It all boiled down to this: Mr. Dussel had recommended the book to Margot and me as an example of excellent writing.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
Chan, the nutritionist in London, recently started recommending soup to her clients for their mornings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 7, 2026
A manager at the Slip is recommending a renewed focus on to-go and delivery orders to weather the storm-heavy forecast.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
But the police have warned against any plans for "criminal" mobilisation, despite a presidential commission recommending a memorial.
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026
"The concerns to me were that Hall was recommending treatment for patients that he hadn't assessed, that he hadn't met, and that other GPs were uncomfortable with prescribing," Redvers said.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
“And as long as they don’t interfere with your main assignment of recommending that the authority of Special Services be expanded to include combat activities.”
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
