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.

---

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

---

Etymology

Origin of recovery

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

Explanation

The noun recovery refers to the process of healing after an illness or injury. Your recovery from your broken leg will go quicker if you keep off the leg. Use your crutches and definitely no skiing or hopscotch! A recovery is when you save something that was lost, in danger of becoming lost, or retrieved. If something was taken from you, such as diamonds, money, or your dignity, and you get it back, you can say that you are glad for its recovery. The noun recovery also refers to a return to a natural or original state. After a devastating hurricane, an area's recovery may take many years.

Example Sentences

The 40-year-old produced a magnificent clearance of 140 in frame 11 to start his recovery, following that with a break of 109 in frame 12.

From BBC • Apr. 19, 2026

Topping the table with essentially the same squad highlights Lampard's powers of recovery.

From BBC • Apr. 18, 2026

The later free-cash-flow recovery is the key driver for the reduction of the target price to 28 euros from 31 euros, Wilkie adds.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026

It did particularly well navigating the COVID-19-induced bear market in 2020 and subsequent recovery, for example.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 17, 2026

We’d been so focused on our little sister’s recovery that we hadn’t given Papá a single thought since our arrival.

From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall

Related Words

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