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.
Now recreational climbers might start to think twice about going out with friends. — William Finnegan, New Yorker, 29 June 2026 Beyond Town Center, resident-only amenities include recreational parks, sports fields and sports courts and a private water park. — Ave Maria, Miami Herald, 30 June 2026 In practical terms, the system increasingly behaved like a serious backup platform rather than an oversized recreational battery. — Michael Lydick, PC Magazine, 29 June 2026 Beijing enacted a sweeping regulation last month to effectively ban casual recreational flying and consumer drones. — Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 27 June 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 7 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on recreational

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for recreational

Nglish: Translation of recreational for Spanish Speakers

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