recreational

adjective

rec·​re·​a·​tion·​al ˌre-krē-ˈā-shnəl 

-shə-nᵊl

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

The park is best known for its recreational use during summer months, when folks come from all over Texas and beyond to float the chilly stream in inflatable inner tubes or brave the waters for a swim. —Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 7 Oct. 2025

Those levels remained high over a six-year period, despite the state recently legalizing recreational cannabis. —Melissa Rudy, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2025

Poetry isn’t a recreational activity. —Via Scribner, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2025

That would pay for a range of projects, including shade structures, water conservation, bike and pedestrian paths and bridges, trails, recreational facilities, open space preservation, and library buildings. —Maritza Dominguez, AZCentral.com, 4 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

recreation + -al entry 1

First Known Use

1656, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing recreational

• recreational drug
• recreational vehicle

Rhymes for recreational

• aspirational
• avocational
• calculational
• combinational
• computational
• conformational
• confrontational
• congregational
• conversational
• correlational
• deformational
• derivational