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

The wave of medical and recreational laws passed at the state level has left a confusing disconnect. —Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 9 May 2026

The South Atlantic red snapper population is booming, and recreational anglers will finally have expanded access to reflect the status of the stock. —Steve Waters, Miami Herald, 9 May 2026

The park offers waterfalls, picnic areas, recreational space, fishing, birding and educational opportunities focused on water quality. —Addison Wright, Chicago Tribune, 8 May 2026

In my day, psychedelics were something one might take before listening to the Grateful Dead, but this isn’t about recreational uses (not that the federal ban has stopped the black market). —Steven Greenhut, Oc Register, 8 May 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