recite
Americanverb (used with object)
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recites,
present (3rd person singular)
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recited,
past participle, past
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reciting
present participle
verb (used without object)
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recites,
present (3rd person singular)
-
recited,
past participle, past
-
reciting
present participle
-
to recite a lesson or part of a lesson for a teacher.
-
to recite or repeat something from memory.
verb
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to repeat (a poem, passage, etc) aloud from memory before an audience, teacher, etc
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(tr) to give a detailed account of
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(tr) to enumerate (examples, etc)
Synonym Usage
See relate.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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reciternoun
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prereciteverb (used with object)
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recitableadjective
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unrecitedadjective
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well-recitedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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recitesimple
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recitessimple
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have recitedperfect
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has recitedperfect
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am recitingprogressive
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are recitingprogressive
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is recitingprogressive
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have been recitingperfect progressive
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has been recitingperfect progressive
Past
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recitedsimple
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had recitedperfect
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was recitingprogressive
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were recitingprogressive
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had been recitingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of recite
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English reciten, from Latin recitāre “to read aloud,” equivalent to re- + citāre “to summon”; see origin at re-, cite 1
Explanation
You are showing off your ability to recite, or repeat aloud from memory, when you say the entire text of "The Gettysburg Address" or name all the past winners of your town’s asparagus eating contest. Recite entered the English language as a legal term but is now more often used in the realms of education, literature, and religion. Children in school may be assigned a famous poem to recite in front of the class or be tested on how well they can recite their multiplication tables. In many religious traditions, being able to recite passages of sacred texts is an important part of practicing the religion.
Vocabulary lists containing recite
100 Great Words from "Fahrenheit 451" -- Part I Vocabulary
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Brown Girl Dreaming
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The Secret Life of Bees
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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:
He said the book was influenced by classics, adding: "One of the only poems I can recite is The Owl and the Pussycat and I suppose there's a similar metre to that."
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2026
He could also recite statistics on the percentage of Iran’s missiles, ships, airplanes, etc., we’ve destroyed in the six-month war.
From Slate ● Sep. 4, 2026
He offers Gruel a lazy thumbs-up, accepts the chef’s joke about cooking for a dignitary and immediately turns to the camera to recite the show’s mission statement.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
“While the District’s letter purports to recite other ‘issues of concern,’ it does so in an incomplete and misleading manner — as we set forth in our response to the District.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
He sat up and straightened his back and began to recite.
From "Half of a Yellow Sun" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Bare still reflexively recites stock tickers out loud when companies are mentioned.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
To make sure he’s prepared, Simpson recites and listens to his play calls.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
When it comes to AI, his encyclical mostly recites the most pessimistic prophecies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026
We know this because Charles Dance recites Michelangelo’s snidest journal passages throughout, bringing a welcome pettiness to an otherwise staid chapter of art history.
From Salon ● May 16, 2026
A cat-headed goblin named Yarrow recites ballads and asks us questions.
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
Phayom Raksa solemnly recited a pledge that touched on the teachings of the Buddha, and mentioned Thailand's king and the well-being of the nation.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
In April, hundreds of people gathered in Dolgellau, Gwynedd, to watch filming, while Sir Anthony has also recited a Thomas poem as an apparent nod to the film.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
And then I recited the opening lyrics to a song I’ve heard all my life but that I only began committing to memory this month:
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 25, 2026
Edmond de Rothschild did not live long enough to see the fulfillment of the Jewish prayers he and his family had long recited anticipating a Jewish return to Zion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026
Instead, I recited, “I have an extremely rare genetic disorder that causes malformation of the limbs.”
From "Insignificant Events in the Life of a Cactus" by Dusti Bowling
Characters keep clunkily reciting statistics and facts everyone in the room would already know, solely to instruct the audience.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
“My kids and myself will forever walk around in a squeaky voice reciting: “Help meeee...I feeel like a yo-yo.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
As activists gather beneath tarpaulin sheets in New Delhi, often holding all-night political debates, singing or reciting poetry, delivery drivers from online platforms weave through the barricades.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
Students reciting Annapolis’ “Midshipman Ethos” say they’re “united by our oath to defend the Constitution,” not their background.
From Slate ● Jun. 24, 2026
They faced the morning sun and began their pujas, reciting their prayers and making their offerings of flowers or grain.
From "Homeless Bird" by Gloria Whelan
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.
