recite
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
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to recite a lesson or part of a lesson for a teacher.
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to recite or repeat something from memory.
verb
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to repeat (a poem, passage, etc) aloud from memory before an audience, teacher, etc
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(tr) to give a detailed account of
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(tr) to enumerate (examples, etc)
Synonym Usage
See relate.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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reciternoun
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prereciteverb (used with object)
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recitableadjective
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unrecitedadjective
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well-recitedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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recitesimple
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recitessimple
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have recitedperfect
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has recitedperfect
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am recitingprogressive
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are recitingprogressive
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is recitingprogressive
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have been recitingperfect progressive
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has been recitingperfect progressive
Past
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recitedsimple
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had recitedperfect
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was recitingprogressive
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were recitingprogressive
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had been recitingperfect progressive
Future
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”; see origin at 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
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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.
See Examples For:
Because it was the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, the children gathered inside the prayer hall to recite the Quran, she recalls, before she began teaching her pupils a new letter of the Persian alphabet.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
You can recite the climbing gospel by heart: Save more, max the match, don’t touch it, buy and hold.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 16, 2026
During a feast where guests were expected to recite poetry, he reportedly became embarrassed because he did not know any songs or verses to perform.
From Science Daily ● May 17, 2026
I would recite that to myself before every game right before the lights came on.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026
In class, she was disappointed when Mrs. Rappaport did not call for volunteers, but asked each student to recite in turn by seats.
From "In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson" by Bette Bao Lord
But will she choose Mr. Ryder, the libertine with a hangup about marriage, or Mr. Hayward, the tortured empath who recites poetry to her in a hidden garden?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
“Instead of saying thanks, that snake gave her a vicious bite,” Trump recites.
From Salon ● Oct. 26, 2025
He recites a story that opens “Phasmagorica” of a shadow reaching out and touching someone on a shoulder.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2025
He speaks of officers surrounded by threats, recites statistics of those killed in the line of duty, paints a portrait of chaos ever lurking at the roadside.
From Slate ● May 15, 2025
“Sorrento recites the words on the gate in Latin. And Elvish. And Klingon. Then they get hung up on reciting First Corinthians 13:13, a Bible verse that contains the words ‘charity, hope, and faith.’
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
In a solemn ceremony, Moon recited his proclamation on an elevated stage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026
Nelson Mandela recited it in prison to give himself heart.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2026
This ritual lasted an entire night and involved burning small figures made of wax and clay while an exorcist recited specific incantations.
From Science Daily ● May 5, 2026
At the Whitehall service, Reverend Dr Lyndon Drake recited from The Fallen by poet Laurence Binyon before a Royal Marines Portsmouth Road Band trumpeter played the last post after which there was a one-minute silence.
From BBC ● Apr. 25, 2026
Jeremy recognized the poem; it was the one he had recited on the night he hatched the egg.
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
Students reciting Annapolis’ “Midshipman Ethos” say they’re “united by our oath to defend the Constitution,” not their background.
From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026
Kyle Avery added that at the Oscars, they played a clip from “Superman” that featured Paul reciting his line.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 23, 2026
On “Age of Capricorn” a buzzing voice seems to be reciting some kind of code, with strings of letters ringing out over pulsing synths and a blooming bassline redolent of a pipe organ.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 26, 2026
Trump showed Xi videos of his granddaughter singing in Mandarin and reciting classical Chinese poetry, to which Xi responded that the girl deserved an "A+".
From Barron's ● May 15, 2026
The dominant, also called the reciting tone or tenor, was the note most often used for long recitations on the same pitch.
From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones
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.
