recitation

noun

rec·​i·​ta·​tion ˌre-sə-ˈtā-shən 

1

: the act of enumerating

a recitation of relevant details

2

: the act or an instance of reading or repeating aloud especially publicly

3

a

: a student's oral reply to questions

b

: a class period especially in association with and for review of a lecture

Examples of recitation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Along with grief and remembrance, a call to action Saturday’s border vigil in El Paso and Juarez will feature a recitation of the names of people identified who have died this year in the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s El Paso sector. —Marc Ramirez, USA TODAY, 31 Oct. 2024

The president’s bellowing recitation of his accomplishments served as a vivid reminder of the bullet so recently deflected by Nancy Pelosi and her ruthless fellow Democratic Party panjandrums by hustling the would-be nominee into political oblivion. —Andrew Cockburn, Harper's Magazine, 5 Sep. 2024

As his whiteboard goes up, 16 books open, and the courtyard reverberates with recitations. —Adil Amin Akhoon, The Christian Science Monitor, 11 Sep. 2024

The intent was probably to emulate something like The Crown, but the final product ended up giving hints of History Channel doc — recitation of events more than dramatic storytelling. —Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 14 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

recitation

noun

rec·​i·​ta·​tion ˌres-ə-ˈtā-shən 

1

: a complete telling or listing of something

2

: the act or an instance of reading or repeating aloud especially before an audience

3

: a student's oral reply to questions