recreation
Americannoun
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refreshment by means of some pastime, agreeable exercise, or the like.
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a pastime, diversion, exercise, or other resource affording relaxation and enjoyment.
noun
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refreshment of health or spirits by relaxation and enjoyment
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an activity or pastime that promotes this
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an interval of free time between school lessons
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( as modifier )
recreation period
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Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of recreation
1350–1400; Middle English recreacioun (< Middle French recreation ) < Latin recreātiōn- (stem of recreātiō ) restoration, recovery, equivalent to recreāt ( us ) ( see recreate) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
The word recreation is a noun meaning just about anything you do for fun: bowling, flying a model airplane, or just swimming the English Channel. If you do it to relax, recharge your batteries, or just to amuse yourself, it's probably recreation. You might think by looking at the word that recreation means remaking something, and, in a sense you'd be right. A person involved in recreation is "re-creating" themselves. The whole point of recreation, as the original Latin word recreare implies, is to refresh and renew. After a week behind a desk, you might be feeling worn down and tired. A weekend of recreation will help bring you back to life. So get out there and do the things you love to do!
Vocabulary lists containing recreation
One Crazy Summer
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"Handle with Care"
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Sports and Hobbies
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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.
Nothing less than an authentic recreation of what Mackintosh left Glasgow and the world will do.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
This appears to be true in the Grok recreation.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
River recreation zones in Elysian Valley and the Sepulveda Basin, another section of soft-bottomed riverbed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Should the family desire oceanfront recreation, they can head to their “exquisite” four-bedroom condo in Hilton Head, S.C., for golf and beach time.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
“Craig, there’s one thing you didn’t mention that your recreation director did. She said you’ve been doing art while you’ve been here.”
From "It’s Kind of a Funny Story" by Ned Vizzini
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.
