recommend

English

Etymology

From Middle English recommenden, from Old French recommender (compare French recommander), from Latin re- + commendāre (“to commend, commit; to recommend”), from con- +‎ mandāre (“commit, intrust, enjoin”), from manus (“hand, handwriting, power”) +‎ dare (“to give; to offer or render”).

Compare typologically Bulgarian препоръчам (preporăčam), Serbo-Croatian препоручити, Slovene priporočiti, Czech doporučit, Slovak odporučiť (the same meaning); Russian поручи́ться (poručítʹsja), пору́ка (porúka), поручи́тельство (poručítelʹstvo) (close meaning), all related to Proto-Slavic *rǫka (Bulgarian ръка (răka), Russian рука́ (ruká)).

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA(key): /ˌɹɛkəˈmɛnd/
  • Audio (General American):(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɛnd
  • Hyphenation: rec‧om‧mend

Verb

recommend (third-person singular simple present recommends, present participle recommending, simple past and past participle recommended)

  1. (transitive) To bestow commendation on; to represent favorably; to suggest, endorse or encourage as an appropriate choice.
    Synonym: commend
    The board recommends Philips, given his ample experience in similar positions.
  2. (transitive) To make acceptable; to attract favor to.
    A city that has much to recommend it.
  3. (transitive) To advise, propose, counsel favorably.
    The therapist recommends resting the mind and exercising the body.
    My therapist recommended that I rest the mind and exercise the body.
    • 2024 May 8, Katia Hetter, “Mammograms are now recommended starting at age 40. Should you get one?”, in CNN‎[1], Atlanta, Ga.: Warner Bros. Discovery, archived from the original on 3 March 2026:
      An influential group of medical experts, the US Preventive Services Task Force, recommended last week that most women receive a mammogram starting at age 40.
    • 2025 April 16, Brenda Goodman, “CDC considers narrowing its Covid-19 vaccine recommendations”, in CNN‎[2], Atlanta, Ga.: Warner Bros. Discovery, archived from the original on 27 February 2026:
      The US Centers and Disease Control and Prevention is considering recommending annual Covid-19 shots to those who are older or who have compromised immune function, rather than the current blanket recommendation for everyone 6 months of age and older.
      The change would more closely align the US with guidance given in other countries. Unlike countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, the US alone recommends an annual Covid-19 vaccine for healthy younger adults and children. The World Health Organization also doesn’t routinely recommend annual Covid-19 vaccines for healthy adults under 65 or healthy children.
  4. (transitive, archaic) To commit, to confide to another's care, confidence or acceptance, with favoring representations.
    A medieval oblate's parents recommended the boy for life to God and the monastery.

Usage notes

  • This is a catenative verb that takes the gerund (-ing). See Appendix:English catenative verbs

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Noun

recommend (plural recommends)

  1. (colloquial) A recommendation.

Anagrams

Middle English

Verb

recommend

  1. alternative form of recommenden
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