recite
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
-
to recite a lesson or part of a lesson for a teacher.
-
to recite or repeat something from memory.
verb
-
to repeat (a poem, passage, etc) aloud from memory before an audience, teacher, etc
-
(tr) to give a detailed account of
-
(tr) to enumerate (examples, etc)
Related Words
See relate.
Other Word Forms
- prerecite verb (used with object)
- recitable adjective
- reciter noun
- unrecited adjective
- well-recited adjective
Etymology
Origin of recite
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English reciten, from Latin recitāre “to read aloud,” equivalent to re- + citāre “to summon”; re-, cite 1
Explanation
You are showing off your ability to recite, or repeat aloud from memory, when you say the entire text of "The Gettysburg Address" or name all the past winners of your town’s asparagus eating contest. Recite entered the English language as a legal term but is now more often used in the realms of education, literature, and religion. Children in school may be assigned a famous poem to recite in front of the class or be tested on how well they can recite their multiplication tables. In many religious traditions, being able to recite passages of sacred texts is an important part of practicing the religion.
Vocabulary lists containing recite
100 Great Words from "Fahrenheit 451" -- Part I Vocabulary
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Brown Girl Dreaming
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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.
When Tiffany Day was younger, her mother used to recite to her a Chinese expression roughly translating, “True gold will always shine.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
The film’s White House is staffed with experts who speak Mandarin and recite North Korean missile capabilities on command.
From Slate • Mar. 13, 2026
His favorite after-dinner activity was to recite his poetry to the guests—often for two or three hours.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026
Naveed also appears to recite a passage from the Quran in Arabic in the video, police alleged.
From BBC • Dec. 22, 2025
The next day everyone was assigned a poem to recite.
From "In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson" by Bette Bao Lord
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.
