recollect
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to recall to mind; recover knowledge of by memory; remember.
- Antonyms:
- forget
-
to absorb (oneself ) in spiritual meditation, especially during prayer.
verb (used without object)
verb
Synonym Usage
See remember.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of recollect
First recorded in 1550–60; from Medieval Latin recollēctus, past participle of recolligere “to remember, recollect” ( Latin: “to gather up again”); see re-, collect 1
Explanation
To recollect is to remember. You might struggle to recollect your high school French but have no trouble recollecting every ingredient in your dad's cinnamon roll recipe. If you ask your grandfather to recollect his experiences in high school, you want him to remember some great stories from his youth. The Latin root word, recolligere, means "to collect again," from the prefix re, "again," and colligere, "gather or collect." You can think of recollect as meaning "to gather again from your memory."
Vocabulary lists containing recollect
"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, Chapters 16–19
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Unit 2: Pivotal Words and Phrases
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Vocabulary: A Rapper's Delight!
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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.
We made a registry to allow our friends and family to help us recollect the basics.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 11, 2026
I recollect that my mother left her jewelry box and its contents to me.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 4, 2025
Not only does this reduce the administrative burden, but it means the government doesn't have to design a system to recollect, store and process this information all over again.
From BBC • Jun. 16, 2025
I just assume he couldn't recollect or revel in discussions about Count Basie and Duke Ellington and sitting on the bandstand and blowing trumpet with many other people, especially in Hollywood.
From Salon • Apr. 19, 2025
This his ear, his neck, his elbow seemed to recollect.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
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.
