Agency Dictionary

recipient

nounPronunciation: /rɪˈsɪp.i.ənt/

In Portuguese: receptor

What does “recipient” mean?

The person who receives something. In communication, the one to whom a message is addressed and who interprets it, as opposed to the sender who composes it.

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French récipient, from Latin recipiēns (receiving), present participle of recipiō (to receive), from re- and capere (to take). The word names the person at the receiving end of an action or message.

Usage note

Recipient is used for the person who receives an award, a gift, or a communication. For a device that picks up a signal, receiver is the usual word.

Synonyms

receiver
addressee
beneficiary

Word family

receive
reception
receptive
receipt
unreceptive

Usage examples

When you make the recipient of your messages solve the equation behind the imagery instead of giving it objectively, you can better engage and mark that person with what you are trying to communicate.
Design.0 - Beyond the Surface of Forms

Source editions

Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.

Design.0 - Beyond the Surface of FormsMay 10, 2023Read the edition

Words of the same theme

Buttonnoun: A physical or graphical control element that triggers an immediate action or command when pressed or clicked. In software interfaces, buttons communicate system affordances through visual boundaries and labels.
Consumernoun: An individual or group that acquires, purchases, or consumes physical or commercial goods and services for personal use. In marketing, consumers are studied for purchasing patterns and brand preferences.
Superfluousadjective: Exceeding what is sufficient, necessary, or useful.
Typographynoun: The art and technique of arranging type to make written language legible, readable, and visually appealing. It encompasses typeface selection, point size, line spacing, tracking, and spatial kerning.
Screennoun: A flat physical display surface on an electronic device that projects visual images, interfaces, and text to a viewer. It serves as the primary visual output medium for modern personal computers and mobile phones.
wireframenoun: A skeletal visual guide that outlines the basic structure, hierarchy, and functionality of a user interface.
Rendernoun: A finished two-dimensional image or video generated from a three-dimensional mathematical scene by computer software. It synthesizes geometric coordinates, lighting algorithms, textures, and shading into final pixels.
pain pointnoun: A specific problem, difficulty or frustration that a person experiences when using a product or a service, and that design or marketing sets out to solve.

Also from these editions: terms

Equationnoun: A complex statement or problem involving balancing multiple interdependent factors, variables, or meanings.
Mazenoun: A complex network of interconnected paths, passages, or obstacles designed to puzzle and challenge navigation.
Discursiveadjective: Proceeding by reasoned argument or sequential exposition rather than by immediate visual intuition.
vocationnoun: A strong innate inclination or sense of purpose toward a particular career, craft, or calling.
Synchronicitynoun: The simultaneous occurrence of events that appear meaningfully related yet lack a direct causal connection.
Decompositionnoun: The natural biological or chemical process of decay, breakdown, or disintegration into constituent elements.
iconnoun: A simplified image that represents a thing by resembling it. In semiotics, a sign that signifies through likeness; in digital interfaces, a small picture that stands for an object or a function.
Stigmanoun: A mark of social disgrace, shame, or prejudice associated with a particular circumstance, trait, or behavior.
symbolismnoun: The use of symbols to represent ideas or qualities, and the set of meanings that a form, an image or an object carries beyond its literal sense.
Desaturationnoun: The progressive loss or removal of chromatic intensity, rendering a color closer to a neutral gray.
Regenerativeadjective: Relating to or capable of renewing, restoring, or reforming biological vitality and structural equilibrium.
target audiencenoun: The specific group of people that a message, a product or a campaign is meant to reach, defined by what they have in common, such as needs, habits or interests.