recital

noun

re·​cit·​al ri-ˈsī-tᵊl 

1

a

: a detailed account : enumeration

a recital of names and dates

b

: the act or process or an instance of reciting

c

: discourse, narration

a colorful recital of a night on the town

2

a

: a concert given by an individual musician or dancer or by a dance troupe

b

: a public exhibition of skill given by music or dance pupils

recitalist

ri-ˈsī-tᵊl-ist 

noun

Examples of recital in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Just a few weeks ago, Ryan Beatty had the best music recital of his life. — Ethan Millman, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026

They’re expected to be present for every recital and every board meeting. — Simbiat Adighije, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026

The gold medalist will receive $75,000, a Carnegie Hall recital debut, a recording contract and four years of website development. — Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 10 Sep. 2026

Unfortunately, even though the movie’s women are given the power of narration, they’re stripped of narrative power in the process, becoming vestigial to their own recitals. — Siddhant Adlakha, IndieWire, 8 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1536, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for recital

• entitle
• subtitle
• phytol
• title
• vital

Kids Definition

recital

noun

re·​cit·​al ri-ˈsīt-ᵊl 

1

: a reciting of something

especially : a story told in detail

2

: a program of music usually given by a single performer

a piano recital

3

: a public performance by music or dance pupils

recitalist

-ᵊl-əst 

noun

Legal Definition

recital

noun

re·​ci·​tal ri-ˈsīt-ᵊl 

: a formal statement or setting forth of some relevant matter of fact in a deed or other document

Note: A recital is often preceded by whereas.