What does "recover" mean?
Recovery.
Recover
/ɹɪˈkʌvə/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Recovery.
- Grammar: recover is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: convalesce, reclaim, recuperate, regain.
- Useful contrasts: addicted, ailing, befuddled.
- Usage evidence: I sincerely hope that you will soon recover from your illness.
How to use "recover"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "recover" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "recover" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "recover" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "recover" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "recover" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "convalesce" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "recover", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Recovery. obsolete
"It was neuer in my thoughte saide laūcelot to withholde the quene from my lord Arthur / but in soo moche she shold haue ben dede for my sake / me semeth it was my parte to saue her lyf and putte her from that daunger tyl better recouer myghte come / & now I thanke god sayd sir Launcelot that the pope hath made her pees"
- 2 A position of holding a firearm during exercises, whereby the lock is at shoulder height and the sling facing out.
- 3 The forward movement in rowing, after one stroke to take another (recovery). dated
Verb
- 1 To get back, to regain (a physical thing; in astronomy and navigation, sight of a thing or a signal). transitive
"After days of inquiries, he finally recovered his lost wallet."
- 2 To cover again.
- 3 get over an illness or shock wordnet
- 4 To salvage, to extricate, to rescue (a thing or person). transitive
"They recovered three of the explorers very much alive, then another, wracked with severe hypothermia, who was taken to hospital."
- 5 To add a new roof membrane or steep-slope covering over an existing one.
Show 14 more definitions
- 6 regain a former condition after a financial loss wordnet
- 7 To replenish to, resume (a good state of mind or body). transitive
"At the top of the hill I asked to stop for a few minutes to recover my strength."
- 8 cover anew wordnet
- 9 To obtain a positive judgement; to win in a lawsuit. intransitive
"The plaintiff recovered in his suit, being awarded declaratory relief and a clearing of his name."
- 10 reuse (materials from waste products) wordnet
- 11 To gain as compensation or reparation, usually by formal legal process. transitive
"to recover damages in trespass; to recover debt and costs in a legal action or that is owing"
- 12 get or find back; recover the use of wordnet
- 13 To reach (a place), arrive at. obsolete, transitive
"The forest is not three leagues off; / If we recover that, we're sure enough."
- 14 regain or make up for wordnet
- 15 To restore to good health, consciousness, life etc. archaic, transitive
"The wine in my bottle will recover him."
- 16 To make good by reparation; to make up for; to retrieve; to repair the loss or injury of. archaic, transitive
"to recover lost time"
- 17 To regain one's composure, balance etc. intransitive
"Spinning round, he caught a stone with his ankle, but recovered quickly before turning to face me."
- 18 To get better, to regain health or prosperity. intransitive
"I was hurt, but I knew I’d recover, given time."
- 19 To recover from. archaic, transitive
"To the end of his days, he never fully recovered his daughter's death."
Example
"I sincerely hope that you will soon recover from your illness."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "recover"?
Common synonyms include: convalesce, reclaim, recuperate, regain, retrieve, atone.
How do you use "recover" in a sentence?
I sincerely hope that you will soon recover from your illness.
How do you pronounce "recover"?
Pronounced /ɹɪˈkʌvə/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English recoveren, rekeveren, from Anglo-Norman recoverer and Old French recovrer, from Latin recuperāre, alternative form of reciperāre. Doublet of recuperate. The noun is from Middle English recover, from the verb.
Etymology 2
From re- + cover.