noun
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the act or process of making a record, esp of sound on a gramophone record or magnetic tape
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( as modifier )
recording studio
recording head
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the record or tape so produced
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something that has been recorded, esp a radio or television programme
Etymology
Origin of recording
Explanation
A recording is the recorded audio that's stored on a tape or an electronic device. If you make a recording of your history class lecture, you'll be able to listen to it later when you study for the midterm exam (or when you want to nod off to sleep). The business of making and selling popular songs can be called "the recording industry," and you can also talk about a recording of your favorite jazz album. In addition to audio recordings, there are also video recordings, like the one you take of your little brother's dance recital or soccer game. Recording comes from the verb record, which we can trace back to the Latin recordari, "remember, call to mind, or be mindful of."
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.
In 2023, Randel gave the recording to a journalist who would follow her in her quest to discover her origins.
From Barron's • Jun. 4, 2026
Other recommendations made by Lord Mann include stronger accountability for NHS managers, improved recording and monitoring of racist incidents, and enabling more patients to record their ethnicity as Jewish.
From BBC • Jun. 3, 2026
“We are unable to work with that insurance plan anymore,” a Perfect Child representative said in an April 2024 phone call, according to a recording reviewed by the Journal.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 2, 2026
Once inside, they climbed, rappelled, crawled, and even floated through flooded sections while recording the caves' shapes and fracture patterns.
From Science Daily • Jun. 2, 2026
Instead of recording, I just tell him all about what’s happening in school and how everything is going.
From "Finding Junie Kim" by Ellen Oh
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.
