recommend
Americanverb (used with object)
-
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)
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
-
recommendernoun
-
prerecommendverb (used with object)
-
recommendableadjective
-
unrecommendableadjective
-
unrecommendedadjective
-
well-recommendedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
recommendsimple
-
recommendssimple
-
have recommendedperfect
-
has recommendedperfect
-
am recommendingprogressive
-
are recommendingprogressive
-
is recommendingprogressive
-
have been recommendingperfect progressive
-
has been recommendingperfect progressive
Past
-
recommendedsimple
-
had recommendedperfect
-
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
"the insanity of selling junk food"
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Excerpt from "Bad Boy"
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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:
Experts recommend thinking carefully about whether it makes sense to lease an Apple product.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
“Do I recommend not getting involved? Yes,” she added, abdicating all responsibility for the safety of the neighborhood.
From Slate ● Jul. 27, 2026
"I had friends who probably wouldn't describe themselves as birders, but more just curious about nature and the world around them, recommend it to me," Megan said.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
If you’re starting out or you’re already a host, I highly recommend having software in place for property management, cleaning and pricing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
“Perhaps,” said Darcy, “I should have judged better, had I sought an introduction; but I am ill-qualified to recommend myself to strangers.”
From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen
"Do not be afraid but be cautious" is the advice from Bunney, who generally recommends swimming calmly away from jellyfish.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Analyst Cameron Halkett recommends that investors look past the short-term cost impacts of Pinnacle’s acquisition of Pacific Asset Management, and instead focus on underlying net profit to gauge performance.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
UC also “strongly” recommends a fourth year of math and recommends a third year of science.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 23, 2026
Preventive Services Task Force recommends that adults at average risk begin colorectal cancer screening at age 45.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 22, 2026
Gachet recommends an inn, but Vincent prefers the less expensive Auberge Ravoux.
From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman
Confused and dissatisfied with local treatment plans, Lynette sought a second opinion from The Royal Marsden Hospital in London which recommended genetic testing and platinum chemotherapy – something not offered on the NHS at home.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
"Exercise is recommended as a primary treatment for hip osteoarthritis, and this review doesn't overturn that," said Michelle Hall, co-lead author from the University of Sydney.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 28, 2026
Up to 80% of children don’t meet recommended daily physical-activity levels, increasing their risk of obesity, Type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases later in life.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
By age 80 and beyond, a more conservative allocation is often recommended, with 20% in stocks, 50% in bonds and 30% in cash or cash equivalents.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
By the time I turned three, my doctors recommended that I undergo a major operation to fix my face.
From "Ugly" by Robert Hoge
The brand went on the offensive, sending former president Greg Creed on a publicity tour to emphasize food safety—including recommending Taco Bell to his daughter and her college friends.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 23, 2026
The vote followed hours of presentations by FDA scientists who urged against recommending greater access to BPC-157, as well as public comment on both sides of the issue.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
The city is recommending “tamper-resistant steel cages around the units,” locking all exterior ladders and setting up motion-activated security cameras that would immediately notify business owners or landlords about unauthorized rooftop activity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026
Former Conservative justice secretary Sir Robert Buckland, who launched a review into MP security after the death of Amess, said he had been recommending an increase in security for some political figures.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
The Mosses’ licensing file was filled with reports calling them “model” foster parents and recommending they get more children.
From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
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.
