recapture

1 of 2

noun

re·​cap·​ture (ˌ)rē-ˈkap-chər 

1

a

: 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

2 of 2

verb

recaptured; recapturing; recaptures

transitive verb

1

a

: 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

Synonyms of recapture

Noun

• reclamation
• recovery

Verb

• regain
• retrieve
• reclaim
• recover

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

Decades after Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata helped enshrine a plucky Nova Scotian orphan in the minds of Japanese and international audiences, a new Anne of Green Gables adaptation recaptures that story’s appeal. —Kambole Campbell, Vulture, 9 Dec. 2025

Criminal gang violence continues unabated in Ecuador following the recapture in June of the country's biggest drug lord, Adolfo Macías, who leads the Los Choneros gang, after his escape from a maximum-security prison in 2024. —CBS News, 8 Dec. 2025

Verb

Another inmate escaped from the same prison in October before being recaptured by the Opelousas Police Department, according to local outlet KADN. —Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 7 Dec. 2025

The last of those 10 prisoners who escaped wasn’t recaptured until five months later at a home in Atlanta, according to the US Marshals. —Rebekah Riess, CNN Money, 6 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

1752, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1799, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for recapture

• capture
• rapture

Kids Definition

recapture

verb

re·​cap·​ture

(ˈ)rē-ˈkap-chər

1

: to capture again

recaptured the escaped prisoner

2

: to experience again

trying to recapture those happy times

Legal Definition

recapture

1 of 2 transitive verb

re·​cap·​ture

ˌrē-ˈkap-chər

recaptured; recapturing

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

recapture

2 of 2 noun

1

: the act or process of recapturing

2

: an amount recaptured or subject to recapture