recitation
Americannoun
-
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.
noun
-
the act of reciting from memory, or a formal reading of verse before an audience
-
something recited
Other Word Forms
- nonrecitation noun
Etymology
Origin of recitation
1475–85; < Latin recitātiōn- (stem of recitātiō ), equivalent to recitāt ( us ) (past participle of recitāre to recite ) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
If you've ever repeated a rhyming poem from memory in front of an audience, you've given a recitation. The noun recitation comes from the word "recite." When you recite, or say something you've memorized, you give a recitation. This happens a lot in school and in religious traditions, but you might also hear your know-it-all friend give an impromptu recitation of a famous director's films or every Beatles song in alphabetical order. The word comes from the Latin prefix re, "again," and the word citare, "to summon." Summoning again from memory is recitation.
Vocabulary lists containing recitation
The Vocabulary of College
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Passover Vocabulary
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Slam: Performance Poetry Lives On" and "Euphoria"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
The next day, ERShares filed a prospectus amendment including a long recitation of such disclosures.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026
It’s worth a recitation of the original case’s backstory at this point, because this litigation has become a house of cards, with new, precarious levels being added all the time.
From Slate • Aug. 29, 2025
Despite all the jokes, the half-ironic but half-sincere recitation of the AMC pledge of allegiance and a recent price hike, they remain loyal customers.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 30, 2025
On the outside, it seems like it’s a quiet, calm ballad as it opens; Ellis on guitar, a recitation of the story of "a girl who’s got no history / got no past."
From Salon • May 13, 2025
In fact, it was rare to spend an afternoon in the house without hearing some kind of recitation of the miracle, and occasionally these recitations were less than accurate.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
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.
