recitation

noun

rec·​i·​ta·​tion ˌre-sə-ˈtā-shən 

1

: the act of enumerating

a recitation of relevant details

2

: the act or an instance of reading or repeating aloud especially publicly

3

a

: a student's oral reply to questions

b

: a class period especially in association with and for review of a lecture

Examples of recitation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The National Endowment for the Arts, managed in California by the California Arts Council, and regionally by the City of San Diego Cultural Affairs in association with Write Out Loud, present Poetry Out Loud, a national poetry recitation competition for high school students. —News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Jan. 2026

Here comes my annual recitation of why that’s 100 percent true. —Jayson Stark, New York Times, 15 Jan. 2026

This account is far from a dry recitation; it is filled with Hujar’s observations, honest self-assessments, and amusing dollops of gossip involving a wide circle of 1970s cultural luminaries. —Robert Lang, Deadline, 2 Jan. 2026

An imam who provided Quran lessons to Naveed Akram told CNN the young man had approached the Al Murad Institute for lessons on Quran recitation and Arabic language in 2019. —Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 16 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for recitation

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

recitation

noun

rec·​i·​ta·​tion ˌres-ə-ˈtā-shən 

1

: a complete telling or listing of something

2

: the act or an instance of reading or repeating aloud especially before an audience

3

: a student's oral reply to questions