Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

Thesaurus

recollection

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of recollection

1 a particular act or instance of recalling or the thing remembered
  • I have no recollection of ever saying that.
Synonyms of recollection

memory, recall, remembrance, reminiscence
Words Related to recollection

flashback

memento, memorial, reminder, souvenir, token

association
2 the power or process of recalling what has been previously learned or experienced
  • The gradual recollection of that long-ago romance brought back both happy and painful feelings.
Synonyms of recollection

memory, mind, remembrance, reminiscence
Words Related to recollection

contemplation, meditation, musing, reflection, retrospection, thinking

awareness, cognizance, consciousness

apprehension, comprehension, grasp, grip, perception, understanding
Near Antonyms of recollection

amnesia, repression

forgetfulness

Synonym Discussion of 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

Learn More about recollection

  1. See words that rhyme with recollection Dictionary: Definition of recollection Spanish Central: Translation of recollection Nglish: Translation of recollection for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of recollection for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up recollection? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games