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

Young adults between the ages of 20 and 44 (42%) and patients arriving from recreational activities (52% of the relatively few cases with a preceding activity listed) were most frequently seen in emergency rooms. —Shaun McKinnon, AZCentral.com, 30 Sep. 2025

In 2024, the National Park Service reported a new high of more than 331 million recreational visits. —MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Sep. 2025

Lightfoot, a recreational sailor, took note of the rough weather. —John U. Bacon, Rolling Stone, 30 Sep. 2025

There are two sets of requirements, one for recreational flyers who use a drone for personal enjoyment and educational purposes, and another for certified remote pilots, operators who fly for commercial, government or other reasons, according to the FAA. —Nushrat Rahman, Freep.com, 29 Sep. 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