What does "recycle" mean?
An act of recycling.
Recycle
/ɹəˈsaɪkəl/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An act of recycling.
- Grammar: recycle is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: reprocess, reuse, cycle, plagiarize.
- Useful contrasts: junks, landfill, landfills.
- Usage evidence: There is a big movement today to recycle trash.
How to use "recycle"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "recycle" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "recycle" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "recycle" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "recycle" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "recycle" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "reprocess" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "recycle", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An act of recycling.
"First, there will be little reaction in the settler so that the concentrations of soluble constituents in the recycle stream are the same as those in the bioreactor. Because all soluble concentrations are the same, the recycle of soluble constituents around the system has no impact on system performance."
Verb
- 1 To break down and reuse component materials. transitive
"Both paper and plastic can be recycled."
- 2 use again after processing wordnet
- 3 To reuse as a whole. figuratively, transitive
"Jokes are recycled so frequently, it’s as if comedy writing was eating a hole in the ozone layer: If the audience had a nickel for every time a character on one side of the frame says something could never happen as it simultaneously happens on the other side of the frame, they’d have enough to pay the surcharge for the movie’s badly implemented 3-D."
- 4 cause to repeat a cycle wordnet
- 5 To collect or place in a bin for recycling. transitive
"Most cans, bottles, and jars need to be rinsed, so recycle while you are doing dishes."
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 To be recycled. ergative, intransitive
"Sulfur recycles in the sulfur cycle."
- 7 To discard into a recycling bin. US
- 8 To put (a person) through a course of training again. US, transitive
"Recruits cannot fail this portion of their training and become a Marine. Anyone who fails may be “recycled” through training up to three more times to try again, but will be sent home if success in this program is not achieved."
- 9 To skate toward the rear of the engagement zone to maximize the time that an opposing jammer must spend before returning to the action.
Example
"There is a big movement today to recycle trash."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "recycle"?
Common synonyms include: reprocess, reuse, cycle, plagiarize, plagiarizes, ransom.
How do you use "recycle" in a sentence?
There is a big movement today to recycle trash.
How do you pronounce "recycle"?
Pronounced /ɹəˈsaɪkəl/.
Etymology
From re- + cycle.