recreational

adjective

rec·​re·​a·​tion·​al ˌre-krē-ˈā-sh(ə-)nəl How to pronounce recreational (audio)
Synonyms of recreationalnext
1
: of, relating to, or characteristic of recreation
a recreational area
recreational activities
2
: of or relating to recreational drugs or their use
a recreational drug user
Colorado's burgeoning marijuana industry had struggled under its own astonishing success since legal recreational sales began Jan. 1.—David Migoya
recreationally adverb

Examples of recreational in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The George Washington Bridge walkways are used by commuters and recreational users alike. — Nick Caloway, CBS News, 15 Oct. 2026 For recreational fish companies, the super El Niño is supercharging their business. — Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026 In city parks, riders would be prohibited from park pathways and recreational trails, athletic fields and turf areas, plazas and promenades. — Susannah Bryan, Sun Sentinel, 13 Oct. 2026 The policy does not apply to grassroots or recreational sports. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for recreational

Word History

Etymology

recreation + -al entry 1

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of recreational was in 1656

Phrases Containing recreational

Rhymes for recreational

See All Rhymes for recreational

Browse Nearby Words

recreation
recreational
recreational drug
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Recreational.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recreational. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on recreational

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for recreational

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of compunction

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Did 'orange' the fruit or the color come first?

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
artwork of illustrated limes with the text limes and smile with an arrow connecting the two words
Quiz: Spot the Anagram! Scramble these words to find new words with the e...
See All