recover
Americanverb (used with object)
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to get back or regain (something lost or taken away).
to recover a stolen watch.
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to make up for or make good (loss, damage, etc., to oneself ).
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to regain the strength, composure, balance, or the like, of (oneself ).
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Law.
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to obtain by judgment in a court of law, or by legal proceedings.
to recover damages for a wrong.
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to acquire title to through judicial process.
to recover land.
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to reclaim from a bad state, practice, etc.
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to regain (a substance) in usable form, as from refuse material or from a waste product or by-product of manufacture; reclaim.
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Military. to return (a weapon) to a previously held position in the manual of arms.
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Football. to gain or regain possession of (a fumble).
They recovered the ball on their own 20-yard line.
verb (used without object)
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to regain health after being sick, wounded, or the like (often followed byfrom ).
to recover from an illness.
- Synonyms:
- rally, recuperate, mend, heal
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to regain a former and better state or condition.
The city soon recovered from the effects of the earthquake.
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to regain one's strength, composure, balance, etc.
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Law. to obtain a favorable judgment in a suit for something.
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Football. to gain or regain possession of a fumble.
The Giants recovered in the end zone for a touchdown.
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to make a recovery in fencing or rowing.
verb
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(tr) to find again or obtain the return of (something lost)
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to regain (loss of money, position, time, etc); recoup
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(of a person) to regain (health, spirits, composure, etc), as after illness, a setback, or a shock, etc
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to regain (a former and usually better condition)
industry recovered after the war
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law
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(tr) to gain (something) by the judgment of a court of law
to recover damages
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(intr) to succeed in a lawsuit
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(tr) to obtain (useful substances) from waste
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(intr) (in fencing, swimming, rowing, etc) to make a recovery
Synonym Usage
Recover, reclaim, retrieve are to regain literally or figuratively something or someone. To recover is to obtain again what one has lost possession of: to recover a stolen jewel. To reclaim is to bring back from error or wrongdoing, or from a rude or undeveloped state: to reclaim desert land by irrigation. To retrieve is to bring back or restore, especially something to its former, prosperous state: to retrieve one's fortune.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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recoversimple
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recoverssimple
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have recoveredperfect
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has recoveredperfect
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am recoveringprogressive
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are recoveringprogressive
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is recoveringprogressive
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have been recoveringperfect progressive
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has been recoveringperfect progressive
Past
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recoveredsimple
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had recoveredperfect
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was recoveringprogressive
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were recoveringprogressive
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had been recoveringperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of recover
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English recoveren, from Middle French recoverer, from Latin recuperāre “to regain”; see origin at recuperate
Explanation
To recover something is to get it back. After you lose your watch, you might recover it from the wastebasket. The re- in recover is a clue that this word has "again" as part of its meaning. We can only recover things that we had before. Often, this word applies to health. Someone who is sick needs to recover — when they're totally recovered, they're all better. If the stock market crashes, it needs to recover — this happens when the market is healthier and money is flowing again. It's good to recover, but it means something bad happened in the first place.
Vocabulary lists containing recover
Stamp Act (1765)
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Essential English Vocabulary, List 5
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Word Generation Weekly - Series 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Federal aid during the pandemic let districts buy laptops and tablets, and a multibillion-dollar ed-tech industry promised to transform teaching and help students recover lost ground.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 21, 2026
He says he has not been able to recover any of his money and now wants to warn others about how easy it is to be scammed.
From BBC • Jun. 19, 2026
The stakes are much higher for older employees when layoffs come around compared to younger peers, as the latter group still has decades to recover from a gap in earnings.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 19, 2026
Still, the progress in drafting a lasting peace deal helped the market recover from Wednesday’s Fed-driven shock.
From Barron's • Jun. 18, 2026
Finally, Mrs. Clarke put an end to it by taking over the hat-holding duty herself and sending Margaret down to the kitchen to recover.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
