A recipient is someone who receives something. When you get a birthday present, you're the recipient of that gift. When a scientist wins the Nobel Prize, she becomes a recipient of one of the world's most prestigious awards. When your school sends home a permission slip, your parents are the recipients of that form.

A scholarship recipient receives money for college. A heart transplant recipient receives a donated organ that saves their life. An email recipient is the person who gets the message in their inbox.

Being a recipient often involves receiving things that matter: awards, honors, important information, or generous gifts. You wouldn't typically call someone the recipient of a piece of trash, though you could technically use the word that way.

The opposite of a recipient is typically a donor (someone who gives) or a sender (someone who sends). In any exchange, understanding who the recipient is helps clarify who’s supposed to get what.