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 Thomas, another challenge in the analysis was Connecticut’s location and its proximity to states like Massachusetts, where cannabis was legalized for recreational purposes a decade ago. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 8 Sep. 2026

The company also has spun off parts of its business making snowmobiles and other recreational equipment. — Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026

But Cole is still quite involved in recreational leagues for sports, including volleyball, baseball, flag football and basketball, said Chezik, who estimates those fees cost about $1,000 total. — Betty Lin-Fisher, USA Today, 6 Sep. 2026

At the same time, the National Park Service has recorded fewer recreational visits to Cape Cod National Seashore, the 40-mile stretch of coastline where white sharks are regularly detected. — Teresa Mull, FOXNews.com, 6 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