recount

1 of 3

verb (1)

re·​count ri-ˈkau̇nt 

recounted; recounting; recounts

transitive verb

: to relate in detail : narrate

recounter noun

recount

2 of 3

verb (2)

re·​count (ˌ)rē-ˈkau̇nt 

recounted; recounting; recounts

transitive verb

: to count again

recount

3 of 3

noun

re·​count ˈrē-ˌkau̇nt 

(ˌ)rē-ˈkau̇nt

: a second or fresh count

Synonyms

Verb (1)

• describe
• tell
• narrate
• chronicle
• relate
• report

Examples of recount in a Sentence

Verb (1)

a novel that recounted an American soldier's adventures among the samurai warriors of 19th-century Japan

Noun

The election was very close and the loser demanded a recount.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Some recounted seeing a man knocked unconscious, a flight attendant who suffered an injury to their arm and another burned by hot water that spilled from the drink cart. —Colson Thayer, People.com, 24 June 2025

On that note, Walters' longtime friend and fellow TV journalist Cynthia McFadden then recounted Walters' alleged plot to sabotage a major interview Sawyer landed with Hollywood legend Katharine Hepburn. —EW.com, 24 June 2025

Noun

The judge relied extensively on the U.S. Supreme Court 5-4 decision that sealed Republican George W. Bush’s victory by halting a Florida recount that the state Supreme Court ordered, delivering Bush a 537-vote victory over Al Gore. —Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 13 May 2025

The governor said Bucher failed to properly conduct three contentious statewide recounts for the 2018 midterms. —Anthony Man, Sun Sentinel, 28 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French recunter, from re- + cunter to count, relate — more at count

Verb (2)

re- + count

First Known Use

Verb (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1764, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1850, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for recount

• account
• amount
• discount
• dismount
• remount
• seamount
• surmount
• count
• fount
• mount
• rediscount
• subaccount

Kids Definition

recount

1 of 3 verb

re·​count ri-ˈkau̇nt 

: to tell about in detail : narrate

recount an adventure

recount

2 of 3 verb

re·​count (ˈ)rē-ˈkau̇nt 

: to count again

recount

3 of 3 noun

re·​count ˈrē-ˌkau̇nt 

(ˈ)rē-ˈkau̇nt

: a second or fresh count (as of election votes)

Etymology

Verb

Middle English recounten "to tell about," from early French recunter (same meaning), from re- "again" and cunter "relate, count"

Verb

from English re- (prefix) and count