Etymologically
Log in

recommendation

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 16 October 2026 at 14:48. This address is a permanent link to this version.
Changes in this edit History

Pronunciation

  • IPA: /ˌɹɛkəmɛnˈdeɪʃən/, /ˌɹɛkəmənˈdeɪʃən/[1]

Etymology

It is Middle English recommendacion, borrowed from Old French recommendation and directly Medieval Latin recommendatio,[2][3] from the past participle stem of recommendare (see recommend).[2][3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The commending of oneself to another's remembrance: 1450 in the OED, the early 15th century in Etymonline; obsolete.[4][2]

Semantic evolution

Committing to another's care is an obsolete sense of 1483, and favour or esteem of 1474.[4] A letter of recommendation is from about 1500 (1494 in the OED);[2][4] the Century Dictionary defined it as a letter given to one person and addressed to a third, representing the bearer as worthy of confidence.[2] The act of representing someone or something as worthy is from 1578 (the 1570s).[4][2] That which wins a favourable reception is from 1647.[4]

Timeline

  • 1450 – commending oneself.[4]
  • 1494 – letter of recommendation.[4]
  • 1578 – recommending as worthy.[4]
  • 1647 – a quality that recommends.[4]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. The act of recommending.
  2. Something that recommends, especially a favourable statement about a person's character or qualifications.
  3. Something recommended, such as a course of action.

Word family

  • recommendatory

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  3. ^ a b Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press