recollection

noun

rec·​ol·​lec·​tion ˌre-kə-ˈlek-shən 

1

a

: tranquility of mind

b

: religious contemplation

2

a

: the action or power of recalling to mind

b

: something recalled to the mind

Synonyms

• anamnesis
• memory
• recall
• remembrance
• reminiscence

Choose the Right Synonym for recollection

memory, remembrance, recollection, reminiscence mean the capacity for or the act of remembering, or the thing remembered.

memory applies both to the power of remembering and to what is remembered.

gifted with a remarkable memory

that incident was now just a distant memory

remembrance applies to the act of remembering or the fact of being remembered.

any remembrance of his deceased wife was painful

recollection adds an implication of consciously bringing back to mind often with some effort.

after a moment's recollection he produced the name

reminiscence suggests the recalling of usually pleasant incidents, experiences, or feelings from a remote past.

my grandmother's reminiscences of her Iowa girlhood

Examples of recollection in a Sentence

Her recollection of the accident is very different from mine.

She has only a vague recollection of her seventh birthday party.

His novel is largely based on his own recollections of his childhood in the inner city.

Recent Examples on the Web

The year’s most impressive filmmaking debut was the playwright Annie Baker’s soft but spiky recollection of life in western Massachusetts in the early ’90s. —David Sims, The Atlantic, 9 Dec. 2024

Looking back on decades of destruction and rebuilding — of their family, of their home country — neither sister has a rose-colored recollection. —Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 6 Dec. 2024

Both images suggest latent recollections from childhood, hazily called back up. —M. Z. Adnan, The New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2024

Police report details lead up to the incident The Monterey Police Department released a redacted 22-page report detailing its investigation, including accounts of the recollections of the woman, referred to as Jane Doe, and Hegseth, along with several other attendees. —Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 24 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing recollection

• have no recollection
• to the best of someone's recollection

Kids Definition

recollection

noun

rec·​ol·​lec·​tion ˌrek-ə-ˈlek-shən 

1

: the action or power of recalling to mind

2

: something recalled to the mind