recommend
verb
rec·om·mend
ˌre-kə-ˈmend 
recommended; recommending; recommends
1
2
: to suggest (an act or course of action) as advisable
I recommend that you avoid the downtown during rush hour.
We highly/strongly recommend that you update your operating system.
Follow-up treatment is recommended.
3
: to make (someone or something) acceptable or attractive
a location with many features to recommend it
—often used in phrases like have little to recommend it and have much to recommend it… the village had little to recommend it other than the panoramic view …—
Paul L. Hall
Paul L. Hall… this style of travel has much to recommend it.—Doug and Bobbe Tatreau
Doug and Bobbe Tatreau"They have none of them much to recommend them," replied he; "they are all silly and ignorant … ."—Jane Austen
Jane AustenThis approach has a lot to recommend it, but it has some downsides too.—Herminia Ibarra and Anne Scoular
Herminia Ibarra and Anne ScoularUsed with discretion, the technique has something to recommend it …—Edward J. Foster
Edward J. FosterHe was not well educated; he had nothing to recommend him but his youth and his love for her.—Charles W. Chestnutt
Charles W. Chestnutt… dancing is a terrific form of exercise that has everything to recommend it …—Andrew Weil
Andrew Weil
recommender
noun
see also recommended entry 2
Synonyms
Examples of recommend in a Sentence
There is much besides fishing to recommend a trip to this sleepy fishing village …
—Peter Kaminsky, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2002
… you feel as if you've left the world behind, down below, and that the only way to rejoin it is to let go and plummet straight down. Erice is not the first place I'd recommend to the acrophobic.
—Francine Prose, Atlantic, December 2002
Many of the jobs, and especially those that paid well, had been parcelled out to candidates—mostly white males—whose applications signified that they had been recommended by well-placed political figures.
—Andy Logan, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 1989
If he'd bailed out with the rest of his crew—or been evacuated from the area at once as his regimental surgeon had recommended—perhaps he would have recovered fully …
—Tom Clancy, The Cardinal of the Kremlin, 1988
A friend recommended this restaurant.
I can't decide between the lasagna and the salmon. Which do you recommend?
They recommended her for a promotion after only two years.
The film is recommended to anyone who liked her earlier movies.
It is strongly recommended that you change the oil in your car every 5,000 miles.
Take only the recommended dose of cough syrup.
You may decide to pursue the matter in court, but I wouldn't recommend it.
Peter Kaminsky, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2002
… you feel as if you've left the world behind, down below, and that the only way to rejoin it is to let go and plummet straight down. Erice is not the first place I'd recommend to the acrophobic.
—Francine Prose, Atlantic, December 2002
Many of the jobs, and especially those that paid well, had been parcelled out to candidates—mostly white males—whose applications signified that they had been recommended by well-placed political figures.
—Andy Logan, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 1989
If he'd bailed out with the rest of his crew—or been evacuated from the area at once as his regimental surgeon had recommended—perhaps he would have recovered fully …
—Tom Clancy, The Cardinal of the Kremlin, 1988
A friend recommended this restaurant.
I can't decide between the lasagna and the salmon. Which do you recommend?
They recommended her for a promotion after only two years.
The film is recommended to anyone who liked her earlier movies.
It is strongly recommended that you change the oil in your car every 5,000 miles.
Take only the recommended dose of cough syrup.
You may decide to pursue the matter in court, but I wouldn't recommend it.
Recent Examples on the Web
Through March 31, 2025, the general public can offer suggestions too, and recommend how data that’s already been nominated should get prioritized.
—Leslie Katz, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024
How to apply eye cream Dermatologists typically recommend gently tapping eye cream onto your eye area with your ring finger.
—Devon Abelman, Allure, 23 Oct. 2024
The intrigue: Metro will open early at 5am on Sunday for the event.
MCM organizers recommend taking Metro, using drop-off locations, or shuttles given the road closures.
—Anna Spiegel, Axios, 23 Oct. 2024
Analysts evaluate stock Several analysts recommended the stock despite the news, with some going so far as to call this drawdown a time to buy.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for recommend 
Leslie Katz, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024
How to apply eye cream Dermatologists typically recommend gently tapping eye cream onto your eye area with your ring finger.
—Devon Abelman, Allure, 23 Oct. 2024
The intrigue: Metro will open early at 5am on Sunday for the event.
MCM organizers recommend taking Metro, using drop-off locations, or shuttles given the road closures.
—Anna Spiegel, Axios, 23 Oct. 2024
Analysts evaluate stock Several analysts recommended the stock despite the news, with some going so far as to call this drawdown a time to buy.
—Alex Harring, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for recommend
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'recommend.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near recommend
Cite this Entry
“Recommend.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recommend. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
recommend
verb
rec·om·mend
ˌrek-ə-ˈmend
1
: to make a statement in praise of
recommend a person for a promotion
2
: to cause to receive favorable attention
children recommended by their good manners
3
: to put forward or suggest as one's advice, as one's choice, or as having one's support
recommender
noun
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