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
Etymology
Origin of recreational
First recorded in 1650–60; recreation ( def. ) + -al 1 ( def. )
Explanation
Something is recreational if you do it just for fun. If you're not a professional golfer but love the game, it's recreational. Anything you do because you enjoy it — rather than because you are obligated to do it — is recreational. Hiking, reading, and visiting museums can all be described this way. Recreational means "something done for recreation," and recreation, which was originally "the curing of a sick person," combines the Latin re, "again" and creare, "to create." Today we think of recreational activities as curing our boredom.
Vocabulary lists containing recreational
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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.
Nevada bemoans that Interior’s proposal threatens its “community well-being, cultural identity, and the recreational experience.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026
In search of relief, some recreational gym-goers are adopting the kind of recovery techniques once reserved for elite athletes.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026
They are hungry to exploit their edge in a market that has been swarmed by recreational traders betting on sports and elections—while it lasts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
Brown described the route they were walking as "a recreational hike" that did not require any equipment and should take four hours.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026
Painting, trying to figure out what would come next, playing recreational hoops and video games, and forming a new friendship, with Briana Bishop.
From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel
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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.
