recital

noun

re·​cit·​al ri-ˈsī-tᵊl 

1

a

: a detailed account : enumeration

a recital of names and dates

b

: the act or process or an instance of reciting

c

: discourse, narration

a colorful recital of a night on the town

2

a

: a concert given by an individual musician or dancer or by a dance troupe

b

: a public exhibition of skill given by music or dance pupils

recitalist

ri-ˈsī-tᵊl-ist 

noun

Examples of recital in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Voigt accompanied various community choirs and would perform in solo and collaborative recitals, and was the organist at Fair Oaks Presbyterian Church in Oak Park for a half-century. —Bob Goldsborough, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2025

There are assignments within Alex’s original assignment, adding bullet points to her to-do list, like playing in a recital and completing Elizabeth’s true-love questionnaire, as well as further obligations to do other things that scare her for a week straight. —Courtney Howard, Variety, 28 Mar. 2025

Vincent Dubois, the titular organist at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, will perform a solo recital on March 20 at Saint Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Saratoga. —Sal Pizarro, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2025

For a review of Angel Blue (soprano) and Lang Lang (piano) in recital together, go here. —Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 12 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1536, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for recital

• entitle
• subtitle
• title
• vital

Kids Definition

recital

noun

re·​cit·​al ri-ˈsīt-ᵊl 

1

: a reciting of something

especially : a story told in detail

2

: a program of music usually given by a single performer

a piano recital

3

: a public performance by music or dance pupils

recitalist

-ᵊl-əst 

noun

Legal Definition

recital

noun

re·​ci·​tal ri-ˈsīt-ᵊl 

: a formal statement or setting forth of some relevant matter of fact in a deed or other document

Note: A recital is often preceded by whereas.