recount
Americanverb (used with object)
-
recounts,
present (3rd person singular)
-
recounted,
past participle, past
-
recounting
present participle
-
to relate or narrate; tell in detail; give the facts or particulars of.
- Synonyms:
- describe
-
to narrate in order.
-
to tell one by one; enumerate.
verb
Synonym Usage
See relate.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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recountsimple
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recountssimple
-
have recountedperfect
-
has recountedperfect
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am recountingprogressive
-
are recountingprogressive
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is recountingprogressive
-
have been recountingperfect progressive
-
has been recountingperfect progressive
Past
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recountedsimple
-
had recountedperfect
-
was recountingprogressive
-
were recountingprogressive
-
had been recountingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of recount
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English recounten, from Middle French reconter, equivalent to re- + conter “to tell, count.” See re-, count 1
Explanation
As a verb, recount can mean either "tell the story of" or "add up again." As a noun, recount usually refers to the second (or third or fourth) tallying of votes in a close election. The word count comes from the old French conter, which means "add up" or "tell a story." Here's a story to recount (narrate): In an election featuring Count Dracula and Count Johnson, Dracula wins by two votes, so Johnson demands a recount (an adding up of the votes again). The officials recount (count again) the votes, and this time find Count Johnson the winner. Dracula threatens to bite the officials and they quickly change their minds.
Vocabulary lists containing recount
Vocabulary of the Common Core
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Electoral Elocution: The Verbiage of Voting
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List 8
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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:
To speak of trauma is not only to recount an event; it is also to expose fear, helplessness, and loss of control.
From Slate ● Sep. 11, 2026
The incident is relatively small when compared to the numerous other crimes Paxton has been accused of over the years, but it has the advantage of being easy to remember and to recount.
From Salon ● Aug. 31, 2026
The witness, who said he had little love for Davis, remained hesitant when he took the stand on Tuesday to recount what happened.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
As insiders recount it, the deal sounds deceptively simple.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026
I had parked well away from the road and from any traffic for my time of rest and recount.
From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck
Earl Spencer recounts being alerted to the crash by a phone call from his sister Jane in the middle of the night at his home in Cape Town, South Africa.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
A warning alert sounded, but the elderly woman was "too old to run", he recounts.
From Barron's ● Sep. 1, 2026
Cyborg doesn't have to think for long as she recounts other standout moments in her career.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
“Dance to the Piper” recounts the struggles of a young woman entering the entertainment industry against the wishes of her family, who were well-established in Hollywood.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 17, 2026
He then methodically recounts the money once, twice, three times.
From "Innumeracy: Mathematical Illiteracy and Its Consequences" by John Allen Paulos
And he recounted his memories of his conversations with the King in meticulous detail, noting carefully in our discussion that the Palace had not explicitly denied his claims, instead choosing to question his judgement.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
In his 2025 memoir, “Truly,” Richie recounted a chance run-in with the comedian George Burns at the Polo Lounge.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
"I thought, well, which limb am I willing to lose? I'm right-handed, so I decided let's do a left hook," she recounted.
From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026
“I had absolutely no idea what it meant,” Kushner recounted in a 2023 podcast on the Colossus media website.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026
The storeowner recounted his memory of that day: Myers had sought out Walter—but had to ask the storeowner which of the several black men in the store was Walter McMillian.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
After a few days, Lee started to settle in, proudly recounting how she handled distributing a series of checks on her own when her trainer was out of the office.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
Andreessen's writing began with him recounting lies he claimed people were spreading, and called for readers to push back against this.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
I had no quarrel with Cole recounting that lamentable story alongside mine, but we did have one occasional difference of emphasis.
From Slate ● Aug. 3, 2026
In 2024, Rushdie published a memoir recounting the near-death experience called "Knife," in which he has an imagined conversation with Matar.
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
We'd occasionally pass the time examining charts on tongue position or reading childish 5-laden texts recounting the adventures of seals or settlers named Sassy or Samuel.
From "Me Talk Pretty One Day" by David Sedaris
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.
