recipe

recipe — noun

1. a note or page that lists which foods you need and what steps to follow in order

1.nounB1
Definition

a note or page that lists which foods you need and what steps to follow in order to prepare a particular meal

Example

Gabriela found a simple recipe for chocolate cake in her grandmother's notebook.

recipe for [dish]

The recipe calls for two eggs and a cup of sugar.

recipe calls for [ingredients]

Common collocations
  • follow a recipe
  • try a recipe
  • share a recipe
  • family recipe
  • secret recipe
  • recipe book
  • recipe for [dish]
Synonyms
  • instructions

    more general term, not limited to cooking

  • directions

    step-by-step guidance; less common in cooking contexts

  • method

    broader term for how something is done, not necessarily written

Usage Note

Often used with verbs like *follow*, *try*, *share*, and *use* to describe handling the instructions.

Common Mistakes

I found a receipt for chocolate cake.
I found a recipe for chocolate cake.
'receipt' is a proof of payment; 'recipe' is a set of cooking instructions.

2. a mix of actions, qualities, or events that will probably lead to a particular o

2.nounB2
Definition

a mix of actions, qualities, or events that will probably lead to a particular outcome — for example, a recipe for success, or a recipe for disaster

Example

The manager's harsh words were a recipe for low morale among the staff.

a recipe for [negative outcome]

The recipe for a successful team is trust and good communication.

the recipe for [positive result]

Common collocations
  • a recipe for success
  • a recipe for disaster
  • a recipe for trouble
  • recipe for happiness
Synonyms
  • formula

    suggests a precise, almost scientific combination of elements

  • method

    broader term; a way of doing something without implying a guaranteed result

  • approach

    a more personal or flexible way of handling a situation

  • blueprint

    a detailed plan, often suggesting a careful design for success

Usage Note

Common in the fixed phrase "a recipe for [something]", where the result is often negative (disaster, trouble, failure) but can also be positive (success, happiness).

Idioms

a recipe for disaster

idiom

a situation or combination of events that will very likely cause serious problems or failure

Leaving a toddler alone near an open stove is a recipe for disaster.

Giving the unhappy customer no refund was a recipe for disaster — she left a terrible review online.

a recipe for success

idiom

a plan or combination of factors that is very likely to produce a good result

The school found a recipe for success: smaller classes and more teacher training.

For the band, daily practice and good teamwork were the recipe for success.

Word family

  • recipes
    nounB1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

While all four words describe ways to achieve a result, they differ in precision and scope. A "formula" suggests a fixed, repeatable set of steps that guarantees the outcome — like a chemical formula or a mathematical equation. "Method" is more general: any systematic way of doing something, without promising a guaranteed result. "Approach" is the broadest and most flexible of the group, referring to a personal style or strategy rather than a precise procedure. "Blueprint" implies a detailed, carefully thought-out plan, often used for large or complex goals. In everyday use, "the recipe for a happy marriage" suggests a personal insight about what works, while "a formula for success" sounds more like a proven system. The wrong choice can sound too rigid: saying "I have a recipe for cleaning windows" sounds odd, while "I have a method for cleaning windows" is natural.

formula ↗method ↗approach ↗blueprint

Common collocations

Phrases

  • a recipe for

Prepositions

  • recipe for

Etymology

LatinEnglish

The word "recipe" comes from Latin "recipe", meaning "take" — the imperative form of the verb "recipere" (to receive or take). It first appeared in English around the 1500s at the beginning of medical prescriptions: the doctor would write "Recipe" (take) followed by the list of ingredients the pharmacist should use. By the 1600s the word had spread from medicine to cooking, referring to the instructions for preparing a dish. The figurative meaning — a method likely to produce a particular result — developed in the 1800s and remains common today in phrases like "recipe for success" or "recipe for disaster."