recite

verb

re·​cite ri-ˈsīt 

recited; reciting

transitive verb

1

: to repeat from memory or read aloud publicly

2

a

: to relate in full

recites dull anecdotes

b

: to give a recital of : detail

recited a catalog of offenses

3

: to repeat or answer questions about (a lesson)

intransitive verb

1

: to repeat or read aloud something memorized or prepared

2

: to reply to a teacher's question on a lesson

reciter noun

Synonyms

• chart
• chronicle
• describe
• narrate
• recount
• rehearse
• relate
• report
• tell

Examples of recite in a Sentence

He recited the poem with great feeling.

He began to recite from the Koran.

He can easily recite all the facts about any player on the team.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Deaf community may plan gatherings around major sporting events or participate in sports themselves, but becoming that next-level fan — the one who can recite all the stats, whose day can be made or broken by their team’s result — has never been easy. —Scott Powers, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024

Kiner-Falefa and Chun recited traditional vows underneath an arch of white florals from Su-V Expressions as soft waves crashed behind them and palm trees swayed. —Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 23 Dec. 2024

He’s born to drums, so he was nurtured as a baby, when his father recited rhythms in his ear as an infant. —Gary Graff, Billboard, 19 Dec. 2024

The winning crew’s music blared, and winners and losers alike recited every lyric. —Caleb Gayle, The Atlantic, 17 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, to relate, state, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French reciter, from Latin recitare to recite, from re- + citare to summon — more at cite

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Kids Definition

recite

verb

re·​cite ri-ˈsīt 

recited; reciting

1

: to repeat from memory or read aloud before an audience

recite a poem

2

: to tell all the details of

3

: to answer questions about a lesson

reciter noun