recreational
Americanadjective
-
of or relating to recreation.
recreational facilities in the park.
-
(of a drug or medication) used for recreation and enjoyment rather than to treat a medical condition.
recreational drugs such as marijuana and alcohol.
adjective
-
of, relating to, or used for recreation
recreational facilities
-
(of a drug) taken for pleasure rather than for medical reasons or because of an addiction
Other Word Forms
- multirecreational adjective
- recreationally adverb
- unrecreational adjective
Etymology
Origin of recreational
First recorded in 1650–60; recreation ( def. ) + -al 1 ( def. )
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.
Seeing America’s expansive landscape in a recreational vehicle has been part of America’s driving ethos for generations.
From Barron's
The nine national parks in the Golden State — including Yosemite, Death Valley and Joshua Tree — attracted nearly 12 million recreational visits in 2025, according to statistics from the National Park Service.
From Los Angeles Times
Drayton Harbor will reopen for recreational and commercial harvesting on March 24, according to Washington state officials.
From Los Angeles Times
One provider billed Medicaid for five hours of therapy at a recreational center with a water slide.
Mom was in the same boat, although she was too busy with me and being the commander of the entire Academy to mess around with recreational simulations.
From Literature
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.
