recite

verb

re·​cite ri-ˈsīt How to pronounce recite (audio)
recited; reciting

transitive verb

1
: to repeat from memory or read aloud publicly
2
a
: to relate in full
recites dull anecdotes
b
: to give a recital of : detail
recited a catalog of offenses
3
: to repeat or answer questions about (a lesson)

intransitive verb

1
: to repeat or read aloud something memorized or prepared
2
: to reply to a teacher's question on a lesson
reciter noun

Examples of recite in a Sentence

He recited the poem with great feeling. He began to recite from the Koran. He can easily recite all the facts about any player on the team.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Taliban has enacted a new measure prohibiting Afghan women from praying aloud or reciting the Quran in the presence of other women. Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024 She’s clearly meant for better things than stiffly reciting wooden slasher-movie dialogue in lifeless Scream retreads. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 25 Oct. 2024 On a foggy Saturday morning last fall, Colette Curtis, recovery and economic-development director for the town of Paradise, recited a list of the warning systems the town had established before the Camp Fire. Colleen Hagerty, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2024 The music of jazz trumpeter Enrico Rava washes over the dining room as solicitous waiters recite the evening’s specials, their delivery unaffected by the thud of bombs falling on a neighborhood nearby. Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for recite 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, to relate, state, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French reciter, from Latin recitare to recite, from re- + citare to summon — more at cite

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of recite was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near recite

Cite this Entry

“Recite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recite. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

recite

verb
re·​cite ri-ˈsīt How to pronounce recite (audio)
recited; reciting
1
: to repeat from memory or read aloud before an audience
recite a poem
2
: to tell all the details of
3
: to answer questions about a lesson
reciter noun

More from Merriam-Webster on recite

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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