recovery

American  

[ri-kuhv-uh-ree] / rɪˈkʌv ə ri /

noun

plural

recoveries

1. an act of recovering.

2. the regaining of or possibility of regaining something lost or taken away.

3. restoration or return to health from sickness.

4. restoration or return to any former and better state or condition.

5. time required for recovering.

6. something that is gained in recovering.

7. an improvement in the economy marking the end of a recession or decline.

8. the regaining of substances in usable form, as from refuse material or waste products.

9. Law. the obtaining of right to something by verdict or judgment of a court of law.

10. Football. an act or instance of recovering a fumble.

11. Fencing. the movement to the position of guard after a lunge.

12. Rowing. a return to a former position for making the next stroke.

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recovery British  

/ rɪˈkʌvərɪ /

noun

1. the act or process of recovering, esp from sickness, a shock, or a setback; recuperation

2. restoration to a former or better condition

3. the regaining of something lost

4. the extraction of useful substances from waste

5. the recovery of a space capsule after a space flight

6. law

   1. the obtaining of a right, etc, by the judgment of a court

   2. (in the US) the final judgment or verdict in a case

7. fencing a return to the position of guard after making an attack

8. swimming rowing the action of bringing the arm, oar, etc, forward for another stroke

9. golf a stroke played from the rough or a bunker to the fairway or green

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Etymology

Origin of recovery

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English word from Anglo-French word recoverie. See recover, -y ³

Example Sentences

There is incremental demand for mature nodes, spurred by artificial intelligence and a broad recovery in demand for legacy chips, the analysts note.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Hopes for a recovery in Germany this year following several bleak years have been dampened due to the energy shock unleashed by the war.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

“As for further declines in oil, that will hinge on the pace of recovery in exports from the Persian Gulf,” he said.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

While much of that has been driven by higher-income households, all income cohorts have shown some recovery in luxury spending so far this year.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

Electricity had overwhelmed her circuits, but then her recovery program activated, and after a moment, she was fully functional again.

From "The Wild Robot Protects" by Peter Brown

Related Words

• comeback
• healing
• improvement
• recuperation
• rehabilitation
• renewal
• resurgence
• revival