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

According to WalletHub's study, retirees are drawn to Orlando for its tax advantages, affordable care services, abundant recreational opportunities, and strong health care for seniors. —Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 25 Nov. 2025

Many of the former sites have been redeveloped into new residential, commercial, or recreational spaces. —Jc Reindl, Freep.com, 25 Nov. 2025

The small community of recreational beaver hunters, too, must be considered. —Elise Schmelzer, Denver Post, 24 Nov. 2025

Rather than immediately replacing deteriorating and damaged machines, ILCO sought to boost employee morale by heavily investing in its recreational infrastructure. —JSTOR Daily, 19 Nov. 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