# recipe

/ˈɹɛsəpi/ (US) · /ɹˈɛsɪpˌiː/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/recipe
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. cooking instructions

noun · CEFR A2

a list of ingredients and instructions for making a specific food or drink.

For teachers: a set of instructions for preparing a particular dish, including a list of the ingredients required.

- I found a great recipe for chocolate cake in my grandmother's old book.
- The chef refused to share his secret recipe for the sauce, claiming it had been in his family for three generations.

### 2. a plan for a result

noun · CEFR B2

a situation or plan that is very likely to lead to a particular result, often a bad one.

For teachers: a formula, procedure, or set of circumstances likely to lead to a specific outcome.

- Driving too fast in the rain is a recipe for disaster.
- Combining high inflation with stagnant wages is a recipe for social unrest, as the government soon discovered during the winter protests.

### 3. medical prescription

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic

an old word for a doctor's instructions for medicine.

For teachers: a formula for preparing or using a medicine; historically synonymous with a prescription.

- The old book contained a recipe for a herbal tea to cure a cold.
- In the eighteenth century, the term recipe was commonly used by physicians to denote the specific composition of a prescribed remedy.

Usage: In modern English, 'prescription' has entirely replaced this sense in medical contexts.

## Examples

- I am following a new recipe for chocolate cake.
- She asked her grandmother for the secret family recipe to make sure the soup tasted authentic.
- Economists warned that cutting social programs while simultaneously increasing taxes on the middle class was a recipe for a deep and lasting recession.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.