recover

[ ri-kuhv-er ]

/ rɪˈkʌv ər /

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See synonyms for: recover / re-covered / re-covering / re-covers on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)

to get back or regain (something lost or taken away): to recover a stolen watch.

to make up for or make good (loss, damage, etc., to oneself).

to regain the strength, composure, balance, or the like, of (oneself).

Law.

to obtain by judgment in a court of law, or by legal proceedings: to recover damages for a wrong.
to acquire title to through judicial process: to recover land.

to reclaim from a bad state, practice, etc.

to regain (a substance) in usable form, as from refuse material or from a waste product or by-product of manufacture; reclaim.

Military. to return (a weapon) to a previously held position in the manual of arms.

Football. to gain or regain possession of (a fumble): They recovered the ball on their own 20-yard line.

verb (used without object)

to regain health after being sick, wounded, or the like (often followed by from): to recover from an illness.

to regain a former and better state or condition: The city soon recovered from the effects of the earthquake.

to regain one's strength, composure, balance, etc.

Law. to obtain a favorable judgment in a suit for something.

Football. to gain or regain possession of a fumble: The Giants recovered in the end zone for a touchdown.

to make a recovery in fencing or rowing.

OTHER WORDS FOR recover

9 heal, mend, recuperate; rally.

See synonyms for recover on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of recover

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English recoveren, from Middle French recoverer, from Latin recuperāre “to regain”; see origin at recuperate

synonym study for recover

1. Recover, reclaim, retrieve are to regain literally or figuratively something or someone. To recover is to obtain again what one has lost possession of: to recover a stolen jewel. To reclaim is to bring back from error or wrongdoing, or from a rude or undeveloped state: to reclaim desert land by irrigation. To retrieve is to bring back or restore, especially something to its former, prosperous state: to retrieve one's fortune.

OTHER WORDS FROM recover

re·cov·er·er, noun

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH recover

re-cover, recover

Words nearby recover

recount, recountal, recoup, recoupment, recourse, recover, recoverable, recoverable error, recovered memory, recovery, recovery room

Other definitions for recover (2 of 2)

re-cover

[ ree-kuhv-er ]

/ riˈkʌv ər /

verb (used with object)

to cover again or anew.

Origin of re-cover

1375–1425; late Middle English recoveren;see re-, cover

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH re-cover

re-cover , recover

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use recover in a sentence

The system would be better poised to help the region recover once the pandemic ends, he said.
Metro board expresses wariness over increased debt but gives tentative approval|Justin George|February 11, 2021|Washington Post
It was the rare offseason in which Embiid wasn’t recovering from surgery or an injury, and the group took advantage.
Joel Embiid Changed His Offseason Conditioning. Now He’s Playing Like An MVP.|Yaron Weitzman|February 9, 2021|FiveThirtyEight
I found I was more tired at the end of the day but made an effort to consistently get to bed earlier so that I could recover and run the next day.
Want to Improve Your Running? Focus on Recovery.|Outside Editors|February 5, 2021|Outside Online
There is not enough money to help seriously ill children recover.
'The Whole System Needs Changing.' The Russia Protests Are About More Than Just Alexei Navalny|Madeline Roache|February 5, 2021|Time

“They all recovered, but not everyone is that lucky,” text in the video reads, affixed over footage of maskless people celebrating.
Super spreader Sunday? Experts worry Super Bowl could trigger coronavirus explosion|Brittany Shammas, Fenit Nirappil, Mark Maske|February 5, 2021|Washington Post
We need to recover and grow the idea that the proper answer to bad speech is more and better speech.
How the PC Police Threaten Free Speech|Nick Gillespie|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Women are more likely to recover sooner from birth and less likely to experience post-partum depression.
How Good Dads Can Change the World|Gary Barker, PhD, Michael Kaufman|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
This slows the rate of all the above processes and increases the chances that someone can recover quickly enough to wake up.
What It’s Like to Wake Up Dead|Dr. Anand Veeravagu, MD, Tej Azad|November 21, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It took decades for comics to recover and emerge as an adult art form.
The Insane Swedish Plan to Rate Games for Sexism|Nick Gillespie|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
She literally had to lie down in between sessions in order to recover her strength.
Jeopardy! Champion Julia Collins’s Brain Feels Like Mush|Sujay Kumar|November 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
We shall recover again some or all of the steadfastness and dignity of the old religious life.
The Salvaging Of Civilisation|H. G. (Herbert George) Wells
The purchasers found that this claim was not well founded, and sought to recover their money.
Women in the fine arts, from the Seventh Century B.C. to the Twentieth Century A.D.|Clara Erskine Clement
Having paused a few seconds to recover breath, he brushed his hat with his elbow, and declared himself ready.
The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, v. 2(of 2)|Charles Dickens
The law only gave you the right to proceed against him to recover money damages for the legal injury.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles
Again, if the agent deposited the money in his own name the true owner could proceed against the bank to recover it.
Putnam's Handy Law Book for the Layman|Albert Sidney Bolles

British Dictionary definitions for recover (1 of 2)

recover

/ (rɪˈkʌvə) /

verb

(tr) to find again or obtain the return of (something lost)

to regain (loss of money, position, time, etc); recoup

(of a person) to regain (health, spirits, composure, etc), as after illness, a setback, or a shock, etc

to regain (a former and usually better condition)industry recovered after the war

law

(tr) to gain (something) by the judgment of a court of lawto recover damages
(intr) to succeed in a lawsuit

(tr) to obtain (useful substances) from waste

(intr) (in fencing, swimming, rowing, etc) to make a recovery

Derived forms of recover

recoverable, adjectiverecoverability, nounrecoverer, noun

Word Origin for recover

C14: from Old French recoverer, from Latin recuperāre recuperate

British Dictionary definitions for recover (2 of 2)

re-cover

/ (riːˈkʌvə) /

verb (tr)

to cover again

to provide (a piece of furniture, book, etc) with a new cover

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

recover

OTHER WORDS FOR recover

Origin of recover

synonym study for recover

OTHER WORDS FROM recover

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH recover

Words nearby recover

Other definitions for recover (2 of 2)

Origin of re-cover

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH re-cover

Words related to recover

How to use recover in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for recover (1 of 2)

Derived forms of recover

Word Origin for recover

British Dictionary definitions for recover (2 of 2)