recreational drug

noun

: a drug (such as cocaine, marijuana, or methamphetamine) used without medical justification for its psychoactive effects often in the belief that occasional use of such a substance is not habit-forming or addictive

Examples of recreational drug in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Those limitations are likely to include not leaving the premises and not engaging in recreational drug or alcohol use. —Kathy Kristof, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2026

Sexton noted that it was used as far back as the 1790s as a recreational drug in Britain, and made a resurgence in recent decades at music festivals and raves in the United States and elsewhere. —Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 26 Feb. 2026

Marijuana is arguably one of the most popular recreational drugs in the United States. —Emery Glover, Des Moines Register, 26 Feb. 2026

Smoking, vaping, and recreational drugs are all no-gos for fertility. —Rachel Hosie, SELF, 16 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1967, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for recreational drug

• antidrug
• mealybug
• multidrug
• chug
• doug
• dug
• hug
• jug
• lug
• mug
• plug
• pug

Medical Definition

recreational drug

noun

rec·​re·​a·​tion·​al drug ˌrek-rē-ˈā-sh(ə-)nəl- 

: a drug (as cocaine, marijuana, or methamphetamine) used without medical justification for its psychoactive effects often in the belief that occasional use of such a substance is not habit-forming or addictive