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 third group are youth who occasionally use drugs for recreational/experimental activity or for staying alert while studying for examinations by mistakenly using counterfeit pills or recreational drugs laced with fentanyl that may result in OD or fatal OD. —Dr. Yifrah Kaminer, Hartford Courant, 25 Apr. 2025

Another major historical landmark is Long Wharf, opened in the 1720s, which once served as a hub for Boston's maritime trade, and is now used by recreational boats. —Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025

Each summer in the U.K., up to 50 million pheasants are released into woods and fields for recreational shooting. —John Drake, Forbes.com, 22 Apr. 2025

Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky and Ohio have all legalized marijuana for medical and/or recreational use. —Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 21 Apr. 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