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

Dylan’s sister, Kaitlin Bauld, officiated the wedding and the couple even recited handwritten vows to each other. —Kimberlee Speakman, Peoplemag, 7 June 2024

Violence erupted after thousands of Dalits recited a pledge, in unison, vowing not to vote for Modi in the 2019 elections. —Lauren Frayer, NPR, 2 June 2024

During her book launch at the Brooklyn Public Library in March, the writer gently cried while reciting a poem that conjured her late grandmother, citing the death toll in the besieged strip of land. —Zahra Hankir, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Apr. 2024

Several students recited prose from speeches, essays and historical doctrines; several others performed songs, including a Louis Armstrong trumpet solo. —Thomas Goodwin Smith, Baltimore Sun, 2 Mar. 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