recitation

[ res-i-tey-shuhn ]

/ ˌrɛs ɪˈteɪ ʃən /

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noun

an act of reciting.

a reciting or repeating of something from memory, especially formally or publicly.

oral response by a pupil or pupils to a teacher on a prepared lesson.

a period of classroom instruction.

an elocutionary delivery of a piece of poetry or prose, without the text, before an audience.

a piece so delivered or for such delivery.

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Origin of recitation

1475–85; <Latin recitātiōn- (stem of recitātiō), equivalent to recitāt(us) (past participle of recitāre to recite) + -iōn--ion

OTHER WORDS FROM recitation

non·rec·i·ta·tion, noun

Words nearby recitation

reciprocity, reciprocity failure, recision, recit., recital, recitation, recitative, recitativo, recite, reck, reckless

How to use recitation in a sentence

Malfunction includes an especially goofy moment of early-’00s awards-show banter in which he repeatedly responds to a recitation of her accomplishments by drooling over how “fine” she is.
The Strange Shortsightedness of Malfunction: The Dressing Down of Janet Jackson|Judy Berman|November 19, 2021|Time
It’s basically a recitation of rumors with little to nothing in the way of substantiation.
Christopher Steele is talking now. Here’s the big hole in his defense of himself.|Aaron Blake|October 18, 2021|Washington Post
Try to ask someone what they watched on television last night and you’ll get a recitation of shows, but as sure as there were shows, there was advertising.
The Brave New World of Advertising|Daniel Malloy|February 7, 2021|Ozy
Poindexter followed with a recitation of the Iran program filled with deliberate inaccuracies.
How the Reagan White House Bungled Its Response to Iran-Contra Revelations|Malcolm Byrne|November 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Any list of his conspicuous qualities turns out to be a recitation of opposites.
Will the Real Jim Palmer Please Stand Up|Tom Boswell|September 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He then went through a scornful recitation of all the things he could do if he wanted to settle for cheap laughs.
The Stacks: The Inimitable Albert Brooks Caught at the Dawn of His Movie Career|Paul Slansky|April 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Moreover, this racial recitation is not done as a neutral or factual explanation as to why Baby Girl is considered Cherokee.
Close Call for Native American Rights in Ruling on Baby Girl|Marcia Zug|June 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The word Qur’ān means recitation, coming from the root q-r-‘, which means primarily to recite or declaim and then to read.
Mohammad Was Not a Womanizer, and Other Common Misconceptions About Islam Debunked|Olga M. Davidson|September 13, 2012|DAILY BEAST
He gasped a few times, then, gathering strength again, went on with that horrible spasmodic recitation.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
The second grammar class had been relieved from a recitation by this confab, and somehow Perry had a subduing influence.
The Soldier of the Valley|Nelson Lloyd
I believe I can pick out all these playwrights by a reference to their recitation papers.
The Girls of Central High on the Stage|Gertrude W. Morrison
Jess told what she had heard at the door of the recitation room that afternoon, and they laughed over it.
The Girls of Central High on the Stage|Gertrude W. Morrison
Mr. Purcell never noticed her out of the recitation room—Mr. Read was more lofty—Josephine more contemptuous than ever.
Alone|Marion Harland

British Dictionary definitions for recitation

recitation

/ (ˌrɛsɪˈteɪʃən) /

noun

the act of reciting from memory, or a formal reading of verse before an audience

something recited

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

recitation

Origin of recitation

OTHER WORDS FROM recitation

Words nearby recitation

Words related to recitation

How to use recitation in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for recitation