recreational
Americanadjective
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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
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of, relating to, or used for recreation
recreational facilities
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(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
Least Presidential Vocabulary Used by Presidential Candidates during the GOP Debate (Sept. 16, 2015)
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Courage to Soar
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Out of My Mind
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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.
Food supply chains, motor vehicles and parts, household furnishings, apparel, recreational goods and some nondurable goods are among the categories most likely to experience “meaningful spillovers” from higher diesel prices, they said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
Supporters stress that psychedelic therapy is very different from recreational drug use.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
With far less leisure time and diminished income, recreational facilities are turned over to food production, notably small-scale greenhouses and vertical farming for producing varied fruits, vegetables, nuts and legumes.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 22, 2026
Sabalenka didn’t appear particularly interested in policing what New Yorkers do in their spare time as recreational use is legal in the state.
From Salon ● Sep. 5, 2026
Mathews Arm Campground, one of the park’s main recreational areas, was closed for lack of funds in 1993 and hasn’t been open since.
From "A Walk in the Woods" by Bill Bryson
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.
