recount

1 of 3

verb (1)

re·​count ri-ˈkau̇nt How to pronounce recount (audio)
recounted; recounting; recounts

transitive verb

: to relate in detail : narrate
recounter noun

recount

2 of 3

verb (2)

re·​count (ˌ)rē-ˈkau̇nt How to pronounce recount (audio)
recounted; recounting; recounts

transitive verb

: to count again

recount

3 of 3

noun

re·​count ˈrē-ˌkau̇nt How to pronounce recount (audio)
(ˌ)rē-ˈkau̇nt
: a second or fresh count

Examples of recount in a Sentence

Noun The election was very close and the loser demanded a recount.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
One such instance recounts Lucarelli’s encounter with discrepancies in cash deposits during his tenure, unraveling a complex web of deceit and maleficence within the company’s ranks. Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2024 Joe Berrow, operations leader Capt. Michael Renn and rescue firefighter Bryce Carden appeared on the Kelly Clarkson Show Thursday to recount their rescue of the unidentified woman, who was trapped after a four-vehicle crash on the bridge forced the truck through the guardrail. The Courier-Journal, 22 Mar. 2024 This mesmerizing documentary, directed by James Marsh, recounts the story of Philippe Petit, a French high-wire artist who walked between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City in 1974. Lisa Wong MacAbasco, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2024 In the year 2022, the vampire Louis de Pointe du Lac (Anderson) recounts his life story to journalist Daniel Molloy (Bogosian). Jack Dunn, Variety, 19 Mar. 2024 In a particularly amusing early sequence, Walt recounts his shoddy employment history to Mozell, whose face becomes increasingly disturbed with each revelation. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Mar. 2024 As in the 2003 movie, an elder Allie (Maryann Plunkett) has forgotten her decades-long romance with the dreamy Noah (Dorian Harewood), who recounts their saga from a notebook. Naveen Kumar, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024 The following month, the mother of the girl in Oklahoma said, FBI agents contacted her and asked her to recount the details of the abuse. Chris Dehghanpoor, Washington Post, 13 Mar. 2024 At a press conference at the opening of the latest property in the Edition hotel empire—the Riviera Maya Edition at Kanai just outside Cancún, Mexico—documentarian Matt Tyrnauer recounted a revealing anecdote about Studio 54 impresario Ian Schrager. Jocelyn Silver, Vogue, 8 Mar. 2024
Noun
Following the election, the audit report shows, Texas counties were required to do a partial manual recount at some of its voting locations within 72 hours of the polls’ closure and no later than 21 days following the election. Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Mar. 2024 The last time the Supreme Court was thrust into a presidential election was in 2000 — Bush v. Gore — when the justices effectively ruled former President George W. Bush won and stopped a Florida recount. Gillian Brassil, Sacramento Bee, 4 Mar. 2024 President Joe Biden defeated Trump in 2020 by about 21,000 votes in Wisconsin — a result that has been confirmed by two recounts paid by Trump, state audits, a partisan review, a conservative study and multiple lawsuits. Journal Sentinel, 27 Feb. 2024 The Trump campaign and other allies saw numerous election lawsuits tossed, and no formal recount of the 2020 in Michigan ended up taking place. Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press, 14 Feb. 2024 That didn't necessitate a recount under the law at the time. Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 23 Jan. 2024 When Hurtado’s 2022 state Senate race came down to a recount, Salas helped to cure ballots to make sure they were counted. Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 29 Feb. 2024 Lauren narrowly secured a second term in November 2022 after underdog Democratic challenger Adam Frisch came within 600 votes of unseating her, triggering an automatic recount. Virginia Chamlee, Peoplemag, 28 Feb. 2024 But so far, Bovo doesn’t seem keen on applying with the federal government for a special census count, as proposed by Councilwoman Angelica Pacheco, which would allow for a federal recount of Hialeah’s residents. Verónica Egui Brito, Miami Herald, 28 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'recount.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French recunter, from re- + cunter to count, relate — more at count

Verb (2)

re- + count

First Known Use

Verb (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1764, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1850, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of recount was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near recount

Cite this Entry

“Recount.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recount. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

recount

1 of 3 verb
re·​count ri-ˈkau̇nt How to pronounce recount (audio)
: to tell about in detail : narrate
recount an adventure

recount

2 of 3 verb
re·​count (ˈ)rē-ˈkau̇nt How to pronounce recount (audio)
: to count again

recount

3 of 3 noun
re·​count ˈrē-ˌkau̇nt How to pronounce recount (audio)
(ˈ)rē-ˈkau̇nt
: a second or fresh count (as of election votes)
Etymology

Verb

Middle English recounten "to tell about," from early French recunter (same meaning), from re- "again" and cunter "relate, count"

Verb

from English re- (prefix) and count

More from Merriam-Webster on recount

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