recapture
Americanverb (used with object)
-
recaptures,
present (3rd person singular)
-
recaptured,
past participle, past
-
recapturing
present participle
noun
-
recaptures
plural
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the recovery or retaking by capture.
-
the taking by the government of a fixed part of all earnings in excess of a certain percentage of property value, as in the case of a railroad.
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International Law. the lawful reacquisition of a former possession.
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the state or fact of being recaptured.
verb
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to capture or take again
-
to recover, renew, or repeat (a lost or former ability, sensation, etc)
she soon recaptured her high spirits
-
(of the government) to take lawfully (a proportion of the profits of a public-service undertaking)
noun
-
the act of recapturing or fact of being recaptured
-
the seizure by the government of a proportion of the profits of a public-service undertaking
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
recapturesimple
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recapturessimple
-
have recapturedperfect
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has recapturedperfect
-
am recapturingprogressive
-
are recapturingprogressive
-
is recapturingprogressive
-
have been recapturingperfect progressive
-
has been recapturingperfect progressive
Past
-
recapturedsimple
-
had recapturedperfect
-
was recapturingprogressive
-
were recapturingprogressive
-
had been recapturingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of recapture
Explanation
To recapture something is to get it back or catch it again. If you were the zookeeper at a very disorganized zoo, one of your jobs might be to recapture runaway baby pandas. The police might recapture an escaped prisoner, and when they do it they can call the act itself a recapture. You can also recapture things in a more figurative way — your dad might like to recapture his high school days by listening to 80s music, for example. The "again" prefix re- is added to capture, from Latin captura, "a taking."
Vocabulary lists containing recapture
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cept, capt, ceive (take, hold, seize)
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cept, capt, ceive (take, hold, seize)
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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.
See Examples For:
EV demand in the U.S. cratered following the end of incentive credits last year, leading Tesla to recapture most of the American EV market.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
Expecting the modern, single-camera version of “A Different World” to recapture the multi-camera original’s magic is unreasonable.
From Salon ● Sep. 24, 2026
What might my capital-gains tax and depreciation recapture look like, considering the $75,000 loss I’ve already absorbed?
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 17, 2026
Focusing on beverages has allowed retailers to recapture audiences with an affordable luxury that’s cheaper than buying a full meal, is pretty enough to post, and brings in more consumers during off-peak hours.
From Slate ● Aug. 14, 2026
I struggled to recapture the rhythm, to get the feeling of creation in my fingers, but the anger had disrupted everything.
From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia
But the film recaptures a feeling of genuine uncertainty and awe at the outset of what would prove to be an enduring historical experiment.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
However, when a stock quickly recaptures it, that is a good sign.
From Barron's ● Mar. 23, 2026
This fall, it will unveil its first studio album in 26 years: “Rack,” a raucous record that recaptures the lunging momentum, stealth nuance and unhinged Yow-isms of its best work.
From New York Times ● Jun. 5, 2024
The wooden auditorium recaptures the look and atmosphere of a venue that was originally sited where 10 Downing Street now stands.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2022
“I love you,” he says again, and recaptures my face with his other hand.
From "The Sun Is Also a Star" by Nicola Yoon
If they're recaptured, the tag can give scientists vital data about the animal's growth and where it's been.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
One Brandt's myotis, Myotis brandtii, was banded in Europe and then recaptured 50 years later.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 12, 2026
Qnity Electronics stock has recaptured its 200-day moving average and could be forming a double bottom, setting up a potential 74% gain.
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
Optical stocks have recaptured investors’ interest lately, but Lumentum’s blowout earnings report is being met with a ho-hum response.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 11, 2026
After she was recaptured, Ellen was sold to slave traders but was later repurchased by abolitionists and taken north.
From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis
Defending a capital or helping loyalist forces defeat a mutiny requires fewer resources than recapturing and securing vast areas affected by an insurgency.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
Mr. Wahlberg and Mr. Abdul-Mateen do a more than competent job of recapturing the feuding-buddies energy that Eddie Murphy and Nick Nolte gave “48 Hrs.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
The band members chatted with The Times about recapturing the effortless essence of their immortal beach-ready sound and looking forward to a second chance to chase an endless summer.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
It dropped back below its 200-day simple moving average after recapturing it with the 7% gap up on April 8.
From Barron's ● May 7, 2026
The train jolts and slows, recapturing my attention, before gaining speed again.
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
