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

Florida’s final moments against Georgia were fitting for a fireside horror story — that which fans will tell years from now, recounting to their grandchildren the dark ages of this resting college football power. —Noah White, Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2025

One man attempted to block one of the attackers from stabbing a young girl, Foster recounted. —Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 2 Nov. 2025

Noun

The baby, as NoiseCat recounts in this riveting memoir, was his father. —The New Yorker, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025

Following the recount, Auguste was renamed the winner on May 10 with a total of 23,352 votes – just one more than Sinclair-Desgagné. —Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 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