recipe

noun

rec·​i·​pe ˈre-sə-(ˌ)pē 

1

: prescription sense 4a

2

: a set of instructions for making something from various ingredients

3

: a formula or procedure for doing or attaining something

a recipe for success

Synonyms of recipe

• method
• approach
• strategy
• methodology
• technique
• way

Examples of recipe in a Sentence

The recipe calls for fresh thyme.

I didn't read the recipe carefully.

This is one of my grandmother's recipes.

Recent Examples on the Web

Join MyRecipes—your personal home for recipes—to easily save and organize your favorites, plus thousands more, in one convenient place. —Abby Fribush, Southern Living, 10 Apr. 2026

The innovators on the front lines have the most granular understanding of these models, and ignoring their technical expertise is a recipe for a regulatory regime that is obsolete before the ink is even dry. —Morgan Chalfant, semafor.com, 10 Apr. 2026

Blend Into Smoothies Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of whole or ground flaxseeds to your favorite smoothie recipe. —Kirsten Nunez, Martha Stewart, 10 Apr. 2026

This silky asparagus soup recipe is a spring classic worth revisiting. —Selma Brown Morrow, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin, take, imperative of recipere to take, receive — more at receive

First Known Use

1533, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing recipe

• recipe book
• recipe for disaster

Kids Definition

recipe

noun

rec·​i·​pe ˈres-ə-(ˌ)pē 

1

: prescription sense 2a

2

: a set of instructions for making something (as a food dish) from various things

a recipe for beef stew

3

: method of proceeding

a recipe for success

Medical Definition

recipe

noun

rec·​i·​pe ˈres-ə-(ˌ)pē 

: prescription sense 1