recitation

American  

[res-i-tay-shuhn] / ˌrɛs ɪˈteɪ ʃən /

noun

• recitations
  plural

1. an act of reciting.

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

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

4. a period of classroom instruction.

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

6. a piece so delivered or for such delivery.

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recitation British  

/ ˌrɛsɪˈteɪʃən /

noun

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

2. something recited

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonrecitation
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• recitations
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of recitation

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

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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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

recitation recitations

My recitation about the environmental ingenuity of enslaved people in the Underground Railroad was clearly jarring to many in the audience, perhaps even hostile to their understanding of Blackness.

From Salon ● Jun. 19, 2026

There, nightly recitation of the rosary and the constant threat of Moran’s simmering rage hold sway.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 9, 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

If I couldn’t smile at “Wheeze and Cough,” how was I to force a laugh at a recitation of the days of the week?

From "Jacob Have I Loved" by Katherine Paterson

Like his Instagram account, there are contextless videos and spoken-word recitations.

From Salon ● May 12, 2026

Those familiar with his campaign-rally routines will know Trump’s many recitations of “The Snake,” something he refers to as a poem but is really a song from the 1960s.

From Slate ● Jan. 21, 2026

Testing the human animal’s tolerance for plaintive fiddles, wheezy bagpipes, Peter Coyote and the whispery recitations of diary entries, “The American Revolution” is the most Ken Burns-y of Ken Burns series.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 13, 2025

Tadjadit became prominent for his public recitations during protests by the Hirak movement, which erupted in February 2019 and helped force the resignation of longtime president Abdelaziz Bouteflika.

From Barron's ● Nov. 11, 2025

Later a young brother and sister gave recitations, which everyone present had heard many times at winter evening entertainments in the city.

From "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin

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Related Words

• monologue
• narration
• oration
• recital
• recounting
• rendering

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