recapture

American  

[ree-kap-cher] / riˈkæp tʃər /

verb (used with object)

recaptured, recapturing

1. to capture again; recover by capture; retake.

2. (of a government) to take by recapture.

3. to recollect or reexperience (something past).

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noun

1. the recovery or retaking by capture.

2. 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.

3. International Law. the lawful reacquisition of a former possession.

4. the state or fact of being recaptured.

recapture British  

/ riːˈkæptʃə /

verb

1. to capture or take again

2. to recover, renew, or repeat (a lost or former ability, sensation, etc)

   she soon recaptured her high spirits

3. (of the government) to take lawfully (a proportion of the profits of a public-service undertaking)

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noun

1. the act of recapturing or fact of being recaptured

2. the seizure by the government of a proportion of the profits of a public-service undertaking

Other Word Forms

• recapturable adjective
• unrecaptured adjective

Etymology

Origin of recapture

First recorded in 1745–55; re- + capture

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."

Example Sentences

“This includes meaningfully reducing capacity growth, with a downward bias until the fuel environment improves, and moving quickly to recapture higher fuel costs.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

So you’re always trying to recapture that youthful thing, but with the wisdom that comes along with the age.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

In midtown, Delmonico’s aims to recapture the power-lunch crowd and introduce a more modern twist on its historic brand, said Adam Plitt, the new executive chef for Delmonico’s Hospitality Group.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

That's because, Chung explains, influencers and politicians are "tapping into people's grievances" and "trying to recapture some of the feelings of being emasculated by the younger generation".

From BBC • Mar. 5, 2026

In an effort to recapture that high moment, he had tried to talk with Max, but Max was preoccupied, busy preparing his plea to the court to save his life.

From "Native Son" by Richard Wright

Related Words

• reclaim
• recover
• retake
• take back