Meanings
recreation1
plural recreations
- countableuncountableAny activity, such as play, that amuses, diverts or stimulates.
Mercury contents did not affect recreation persay but definitely could if found in fish tissue at high levels.
1972, Peter Chan, Water quality and recreational value analysis on Lake Dubay1 more example
The ordinary recreations which we have in winter, and in most solitary times busy our minds with, are cards, tables and dice, shovelboard, chess-play, the philosopher's game, small trunks, shuttlecock […]
1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition II, section 2, member 4Synonyms: leisure
recreation2
plural recreations · alternative re-creation
- The process of creating something again.
- The result of this process.
Such abundance must be laid out on superfluous recreations, buildings, ornaments, furniture, equipage, attendants, entertainments, visitations, braveries, and a world of need-nots […]
2007, Baxter's Practical Works, Volume 1: A Sum of Practical Theology, and Cases ...
Synonyms & antonyms
nounAny activity, such as play, that amuses, diverts or stimulates.
More synonyms by meaning
nounactivity that refreshes and recreates; activity that renews your health and spirits by enjoyment and relaxation
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
recreation · noun
- Latinrecreātiō
- Old Frenchrecreacion
- Middle Frenchrecreacion
- Middle Englishrecreacion
- Englishrecreation
From Middle English recreacion, from Middle French recreacion, from Old French recreacion, from Latin recreātiō.
More words from Middle English, Middle French, Old French
Full word history & related roots →recreation · noun
- Middle Englishrecreacion
- Englishrecreation
From Middle English recreacion; equivalent to re- + creation.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἄνεσις
- ἄνεσις (ánesis)activity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
Arabic اِسْتِجْمَام
- اِسْتِجْمَام (istijmām)activity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
Bulgarian развлечение, забавление
- развлечение (razvlečenie)activity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
- забавление (zabavlenie)activity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
- пресъздаване (presăzdavane)The process of recreating something
Chinese Mandarin 娛樂 /娱乐, 遊藝 /游艺
- 娛樂 /娱乐 (yúlè)activity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
- 遊藝 /游艺 (yóuyì)activity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
- 再建 (zàijiàn)The process of recreating something
- 重建 (chóngjiàn)The process of recreating something
- 再造 (zàizào)The process of recreating something
Czech rekreace
- rekreaceactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
Danish rekreation
- rekreationactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
Dutch recreatie, ontspanning
- recreatieactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
- ontspanningactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
Finnish virkistys, vapaa-ajan toiminta
- virkistysactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
- vapaa-ajan toimintaactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
Flemish recreaasje
- recreaasjeactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
French récréation, recréation
- récréationactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
- recréationThe process of recreating something
German Erholung, Unterhaltung
- Erholungactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
- Unterhaltungactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
Greek ψυχαγωγία, αναψυχή
- ψυχαγωγία (psychagogía)activity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
- αναψυχή (anapsychí)activity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
- αναδημιουργία (anadimiourgía)The process of recreating something
Hebrew נופש, פנאי
- נופשactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
- פנאיactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
Hungarian szabadidő
- szabadidőactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
Indonesian rekreasi
- rekreasiactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
Italian ricreazione
- ricreazioneactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
Japanese 娯楽, 再創造
- 娯楽 (goraku)activity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
- 再創造 (saisōzō)The process of recreating something
Korean 오락
- 오락 (orak)activity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
Latin āvocāmentum
- āvocāmentumactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
Latvian atpūta
- atpūtaactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
Malay rekreasi
- rekreasiactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
Māori mahi a te rēhia, mahi rēhia
- mahi a te rēhiaactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
- mahi rēhiaactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
Norwegian rekreasjon, gjenskaping
- rekreasjonactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
- gjenskapingThe process of recreating something
Persian تفریح
- تفریح (tafrih)activity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
Polish rekreacja, wypoczynek
- rekreacjaactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
- wypoczynekactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
Portuguese recreação, recriação
- recreaçãoactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
- recriaçãoThe process of recreating something
Romanian recreație, recreare
- recreațieactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
- recreareactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
Russian о́тдых, развлече́ние
- о́тдых (ótdyx)activity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
- развлече́ние (razvlečénije)activity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
Scottish Gaelic cleasachd
- cleasachdactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
Slovak rekreácia
- rekreáciaactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
Spanish recreación
- recreaciónactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
Swedish förströelse, rekreation
- förströelseactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
- rekreationactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
Tagalog rekreasyón, mulinsigla
- rekreasyónactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
- mulinsiglaactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
Turkish dinlence, rekreasyon
- dinlenceactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
- rekreasyonactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
Ukrainian відпочи́нок
- відпочи́нок (vidpočýnok)activity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
Vietnamese sự tiêu khiển
- sự tiêu khiểnactivity that diverts, amuses or stimulates
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with recreation
Cite this entry
recreation. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/recreation
“recreation.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/recreation. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “recreation,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/recreation.
Source: recreation on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.