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

• memory

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

Trainwreck: Poop Cruise interviews several passengers and crew members who were on the Triumph that week, and their recollections are truly harrowing. —Randall Colburn, EW.com, 25 June 2025

There will also be archival photography, museum artifacts and personal recollections from S. E. Hinton and late film producer Fred Roos as well as David Arquette, who appeared in The Outsiders’ drama television series, which aired from March 25 to July 22, 1990 on Fox. —Angel Saunders, People.com, 18 June 2025

There’s a lot of essays about Oswalt’s youth and teen years in Virginia, and his recollections of working as a not terribly motivated young man in a movie theater are quite entertaining. —Brian Boone, Vulture, 18 June 2025

Matsuhisa is seen to be fluent in Japanese, English and Spanish in the film, and his travels appear to take him through challenging learning experiences, but these are often reduced to fleeting recollections supported by one old photograph per location. —Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 June 2025

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

Rhymes for recollection

• circumspection
• disaffection
• disconnection
• disinfection
• dorsiflexion
• imperfection
• indirection
• insurrection
• intellection
• interjection
• intersection
• introjection

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