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 music of jazz trumpeter Enrico Rava washes over the dining room as solicitous waiters recite the evening’s specials, their delivery unaffected by the thud of bombs falling on a neighborhood nearby. —Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024

During his appearances Blair has been reciting positive poll numbers and defending a political operation that some Republicans have criticized for being too slow to build out a field program. —Sophia Cai, Axios, 2 Nov. 2024

The Taliban has banned Afghan women from reciting verses from the Quran or praying loudly in front of each other, the latest in a series of restrictions imposed on women. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2024

But the event had a twist: Children would have to sing a song or recite a poem in exchange for candy. —Maria Aguilar Prieto, CNN, 31 Oct. 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