recollection

noun

rec·​ol·​lec·​tion ˌre-kə-ˈlek-shən 

1

a

: tranquility of mind

b

: religious contemplation

2

a

: the action or power of recalling to mind

b

: something recalled to the mind

Synonyms

• anamnesis
• memory
• recall
• remembrance
• reminiscence

Choose the Right Synonym for 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

Examples of recollection in a Sentence

Her recollection of the accident is very different from mine.

She has only a vague recollection of her seventh birthday party.

His novel is largely based on his own recollections of his childhood in the inner city.

Recent Examples on the Web

After maybe a 10-pitch at-bat, Mountcastle smoked a ball to right center, and this is where their recollections of the story separate. —Sam McDowell, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2025

The homestand has been rife with recollections of the Dodgers’ 2024 success, from Hollywood-esque entrances to a ring ceremony. —Fabian Ardaya, New York Times, 2 Apr. 2025

Poem 50 begins as a giddy recollection of an afternoon spent dashing off verses to his friend Calvus, another of the neoteroi. —Daniel Mendelsohn, New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2025

Five months later, the recollections of the participants remain vivid. —Ken Rosenthal, The Athletic, 25 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing recollection

• have no recollection
• to the best of someone's recollection

Rhymes for recollection

• circumspection
• disaffection
• disconnection
• disinfection
• dorsiflexion
• imperfection
• indirection
• insurrection
• intellection
• interjection
• intersection
• introjection

Kids Definition

recollection

noun

rec·​ol·​lec·​tion ˌrek-ə-ˈlek-shən 

1

: the action or power of recalling to mind

2

: something recalled to the mind