What does recommending mean?
Recommending is the present participle of recommend and is used to describe the act of advising someone to choose a person, place, thing, service, or course of action. It can also mean presenting something as worthwhile or beneficial, as in recommending a book, restaurant, product, or destination. In professional contexts, the word suggests that advice is based on experience or reliable judgement, although it does not guarantee that the recommended option is best for everyone. In everyday conversation, recommending is often used to share personal preferences: “I’m recommending this café.” The form is especially useful when an activity is continuing or being reported, such as “She was recommending the hotel,” while “recommend” is more typical for general statements of advice.
verbThe present participle of recommend, meaning to put forward a person, place, or thing as suitable or advantageous, or to advise that a course of action should be taken.
- To advise or urge someone to choose or use a particular person, thing, course of action, or place.
- To present someone or something as suitable, beneficial, or worthy of attention.
"After hearing the reviews, she was recommending the restaurant to all her friends."
"The doctor recommended increasing the dosage gradually."
"She is recommending a quieter hotel for families travelling with young children."
From the Latin commendare, meaning “to entrust,” recommending originally suggested placing your trust in someone or something.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does recommending come from?
The word comes from Latin recommendare, formed from re- meaning “again” or “back” and commendare meaning “to commend” or “entrust.” English adopted it in the early 16th century with the sense of praising or making a favourable recommendation. The related word commend shares the same root, while remedial ultimately derives from a different Latin formation related to remedy.
Related word forms
How recommending is actually used
The form is common in both formal and informal English. It is especially frequent in recommendations, reviews, professional advice, and spoken exchanges; “recommend” is often preferred when a formal claim or endorsement is intended.
Easily confused with recommending
Recommending is the act of suggesting or advising something, whereas a recommendation is the suggestion or advice itself.
Recommending concerns advising or endorsing something, while reminiscent means evoking or recalling something from the past.