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

Example Sentences

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

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

Gold’s bumpy recapture of the $5,000 level this week seemed to get a boost on Friday as the precious metal pushed further above that closely monitored level.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 20, 2026

Next up: “Crime 101,” an ’80s-style crime drama that seeks to recapture the sexy sinuousness and focused intelligence of the work of Michael Mann.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 12, 2026

Under this law, the federal government must help recapture fugitives; to hide or “harbor” a fugitive is illegal.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

Related Words

• reclaim
• recover
• retake
• take back