recollection

noun

rec·​ol·​lec·​tion ˌre-kə-ˈlek-shən 

1

a

: tranquility of mind

b

: religious contemplation

2

a

: the action or power of recalling to mind

b

: something recalled to the mind

Synonyms

• anamnesis
• memory
• recall
• remembrance
• reminiscence

Choose the Right Synonym for recollection

memory, remembrance, recollection, reminiscence mean the capacity for or the act of remembering, or the thing remembered.

memory applies both to the power of remembering and to what is remembered.

gifted with a remarkable memory

that incident was now just a distant memory

remembrance applies to the act of remembering or the fact of being remembered.

any remembrance of his deceased wife was painful

recollection adds an implication of consciously bringing back to mind often with some effort.

after a moment's recollection he produced the name

reminiscence suggests the recalling of usually pleasant incidents, experiences, or feelings from a remote past.

my grandmother's reminiscences of her Iowa girlhood

Examples of recollection in a Sentence

Her recollection of the accident is very different from mine.

She has only a vague recollection of her seventh birthday party.

His novel is largely based on his own recollections of his childhood in the inner city.

Recent Examples on the Web

The book benefits from its distance from that gold rush, since Kennedy’s friends no longer need to jealously guard their recollections. —Allison Stewart, Washington Post, 14 July 2024

Yet, Martin has since changed his tone, claiming that his recollection of the events involving Shakur’s death were fabricated in an attempt to gain money and publicity. —Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 24 June 2024

The event had been well publicized, and, in the recollection of an organizer named Stephanie Pavlick, about eight police cars were present. —Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 24 June 2024

The change created a bottleneck and removals slowed to a near-stop, according to Hernandez’s recollection. —Brandy Zadrozny, NBC News, 19 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing recollection

• have no recollection
• to the best of someone's recollection

Kids Definition

recollection

noun

rec·​ol·​lec·​tion ˌrek-ə-ˈlek-shən 

1

: the action or power of recalling to mind

2

: something recalled to the mind