recapture

noun

re·cap·ture | \ (ˌ)rē-ˈkap-chər

Definition of recapture

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : the act of retaking

b : an instance of being retaken

2 : the retaking of a prize or goods under international law

3 : a government seizure under law of earnings or profits beyond a fixed amount

recapture

verb

recaptured; recapturing; recaptures

Definition of recapture (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to capture again

b : to experience again by no effort of the imagination could she recapture the ecstasy— Ellen Glasgow

2 : to take (something, such as a portion of earnings or profits above a fixed amount) by law or through negotiations under law

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Examples of recapture in a Sentence

Noun

the recapture of the territory may take longer than expected

Verb

The guards recaptured the escaped prisoner. The soldiers recaptured the hill they had lost the day before. In the final lap of the race, he recaptured the lead. They are trying to recapture those happy times they had together. The documentary recaptures the social tensions of the 1960s.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

The recapture of Douma, in the region of Eastern Ghouta on the outskirts of Damascus, effectively represents the end of the war between Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and the rebel groups opposing his rule. — Washington Post, "As fears mount over open U.S.-Russia conflict, Moscow seeks to lower the temperature," 12 Apr. 2018 There was no immediate comment from Jordan on the Syrian forces’ recapture of Naseeb crossing. — Washington Post, "Syrian troops reach border crossing with Jordan," 6 July 2018 Officials shaved the projected deficit to $115 million earlier this year in hopes that a lawsuit focused on recapture payments will turn out favorably for HISD. — Shelby Webb, Houston Chronicle, "Houston ISD shrinks projected budget deficit to $104M," 30 Apr. 2018 The recapture of Naseeb in Daraa marks the return of Assad’s forces to the province where the uprising against him began seven years ago. — Albert Aji, BostonGlobe.com, "Syrian troops celebrate recapture of Jordan border crossing," 7 July 2018 As the takin did a full loop around the zoo, a recapture team with tranquilizers, and rifles for back-up, chased the animal until he was sedated, Nahabedian said. — BostonGlobe.com, "Workers hurt as 800-pound animal busts out of enclosure in Rhode Island zoo," 15 May 2018 The challenge will be funding the teachers and staff necessary for an additional campus when Carroll pays millions of dollars into Chapter 41 recapture, also known as Robin Hood. — Nicholas Sakelaris, star-telegram, "Growth is putting pressure on Carroll schools, but the district has a plan | Fort Worth Star-Telegram," 11 May 2018 Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi is riding high after his recent twin victories: the defeat of ISIS and the relatively bloodless recapture of oil-rich Kirkuk and other territories occupied by the Kurds. — Bartle Bull And Douglas Ollivant, WSJ, "Will Iraq ‘Lean West’ or ‘Lean Iran’?," 10 May 2018 Budget officials trimmed the deficit further after learning the state would cut the amount districts affected by Hurricane Harvey would pay in recapture due to lower projected property values. — Shelby Webb, Houston Chronicle, "Houston ISD shrinks projected budget deficit to $104M," 30 Apr. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

After years of radical invention, aerospace design, political feuding, and faith in ingenuity—and eight years since the shuttle retirement—the United States is on the cusp of recapturing the ability to reach space from U.S. soil. — Joe Pappalardo, Popular Mechanics, "America Is About to Take Back Human Spaceflight, and It's a Lot More Than Just Flag-Waving," 4 Jan. 2019 Moscow, which has provided crucial military support to Assad, is eager to show that the situation in Syria is normalizing now that the government has recaptured most opposition strongholds. — Fox News, "Syria vows to help refugees return, wants sanctions lifted," 13 Aug. 2018 The major question will be if the offense can recapture its 2016 pyrotechnics. — Nate Davis, USA TODAY, "Which NFL franchises never to have won Super Bowl are closest to title breakthrough?," 30 Jan. 2018 The system improves performance of the fuel-saving automatic stop-start system, adds torque at startup and recaptures some energy during deceleration. — Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, "2019 Ram 1500 adds features, loses weight, links Hemi V8 to mild-hybrid system," 15 Jan. 2018 Authorities on Friday recaptured a 15-year-old boy who is charged with killing his mother and managed to escape a Southern California juvenile facility. — Amanda Lee Myers, The Seattle Times, "Escaped teenager charged in mother’s death recaptured," 12 Apr. 2019 All of the others were recaptured, and 50 of them were executed. — Thomas Vinciguerra, WSJ, "The Great Lessons of the Great Escape," 21 Mar. 2019 He was recaptured after about nine hours and was jailed in Bell County on a more than $1.75 million bond. — Jake Bleiberg, The Seattle Times, "Prison transport firm closing after escape, cites insurance," 11 Feb. 2019 Many have undergone counseling and recaptured a semblance of normalcy. — Arian Campo-flores, WSJ, "A Year After Parkland: Making Sure to Say, ‘I Love You’ at Morning Drop-Off," 12 Feb. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'recapture.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

25 May 2019

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Time Traveler for recapture

The first known use of recapture was in 1752

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More Definitions for recapture

recapture

noun

Financial Definition of recapture

What It Is

A recapture occurs when a person or entity takes back an asset from a buyer under certain conditions.

How It Works

Taxing authorities can implement tax recaptures in which the taxing authority requires a taxpayer to pay taxes on previous years of income (usually when the taxpayer took a deduction or tax credit that the taxing authority decides was inappropriate).

Recapture clauses are common in commercial real estate. Let's say John Doe owns the ABC Shopping Center. He leases some retail space to Company XYZ. The lease says Company XYZ will pay 3% of its sales to John Doe as rent every month for a minimum of $5,000 per month. In other words, Company XYZ has to have revenues of at least $167,000 a month.

Company XYZ only does $100,000 a month. Because the lease has a recapture clause, John Doe can terminate the lease and take back the retail space from Company XYZ. This allows him to get a better-performing tenant in the space rather than having to suffer through the entire term of the lease with a tenant that doesn't generate enough income for him.

Another form of recapture is the depreciation recapture. Let's say John Doe bought a house for $100,000 and ran a business out of it, which allowed him to depreciate the house by $1,000 a year. He lived in the house for five years, thus recording $5,000 of depreciation, and then decided to sell the house and move to Tampa. He sold the house for $120,000.

Because the house is a depreciable asset to John, his profit on the sale of the house is based on the depreciated value of the house (that is, $100,000 - $5,000, or $95,000). It is not based on what he paid for the house ($100,000). So, his sale for $120,000 generates a $25,000 profit, not a $20,000 profit. In other words, John must declare a recaptured gain of $25,000.

Why It Matters

Recaptures are most common in commercial real estate transactions, but they can be in any sort of contract in which an asset exchange takes place and the buyer may want the option to buy back the asset later. And as we've shown, taxing authorities can recapture lost tax revenue when they decide that taxpayers have not been following the rules.

Source: Investing Answers

recapture

verb

English Language Learners Definition of recapture

: to catch (someone or something that has escaped)

: to gain control of (a place or position) again after losing it

: to experience or bring back (a feeling, quality, or situation) again

See the full definition for recapture in the English Language Learners Dictionary

recapture

verb

re·cap·ture | \ ˌrē-ˈkap-chər

recaptured; recapturing

Kids Definition of recapture

1 : to regain possession of Soldiers recaptured the fort.

2 : to experience again I wish I could recapture my youth.

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recapture

transitive verb

re·cap·ture | \ ˌrē-ˈkap-chər\

recaptured; recapturing

Legal Definition of recapture

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : to capture again

2 : to recover or take (as an excess or gain) by law or agreement especially : to recover (a tax benefit) by higher or additional taxation of income or property that ceases to qualify for a credit or deduction or by taxing gain realized from the sale or exchange of such property the government recaptured the depreciation by taxing the gain resulting from the difference between the sale price and the basis after depreciation