recreational

adjective

rec·​re·​a·​tion·​al ˌre-krē-ˈā-sh(ə-)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

As gas prices climb and tariffs continue, the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco reports shoppers aren’t spending as much on nonessentials like recreational gear and restaurants. — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 30 Sep. 2026

Their populations were first threatened in the late 1800s when nonnative trout that fed on tadpoles were introduced to their habitats for recreational fishing. — ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026

The legal clause requires the city to never change the name of the War Memorial Youth Center and to continue using the property for youth recreational activities for Gables children. — Michelle Marchante september 28, Miami Herald, 28 Sep. 2026

Bridges along the Chicago River will lift almost a dozen times this fall to allow sailboats and other recreational vessels to return to their winter storage yards, the Chicago Department of Transportation said Monday. — Talia Soglin, Chicago Tribune, 28 Sep. 2026

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

• formational
• foundational
• gestational
• gradational
• locational
• mutational
• notational
• relational
• rotational
• sensational
• translational
• vibrational