verb ·Common ·High school level

Definitions

Verb

1. 1
   To repeat aloud (some passage, poem or other text previously memorized, or in front of one's eyes), often before an audience. transitive

   "Janice is able to recite pi to 100 decimals."

2. 2
   Alternative spelling of re-cite (which is the preferred spelling, to avoid needless homography). alt-of, alternative
3. 3
   repeat aloud from memory wordnet
4. 4
   To list or enumerate something. transitive
5. 5
   specify individually wordnet

Show 4 more definitions

6. 6
   To deliver a recitation. intransitive
7. 7
   narrate or give a detailed account of wordnet
8. 8
   recite in elocution wordnet
9. 9
   render verbally wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms

declaimdeclaimenumeratetelladd upaffirm

Example

More examples

"Having heard it so many times, I can recite the poem by heart now."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English reciten, from Old French reciter, from Latin recitō.

Etymology 2

From re- + cite.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.