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

To that end, although the complaint references alleged text messages from Bayless, the more explosive and damning allegations are told through Faraji’s recollections. —Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 6 Jan. 2025

While Hollywood swings left politically, its economic reality as revealed through the recollections of its leading lights makes a case for free-market libertarianism in ways that few professions do. —John Tamny, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2025

Scientists now know that birds’ brains can contain elephantine powers of recollection. —Matthew Hutson, The New Yorker, 29 Dec. 2024

Mason’s recollections, which Magaro corroborated through other accounts (such as those by the late ABC anchor Jim McKay’s son, Sean McManus, a teenager at the time), were invaluable source material about the day’s intensity. —Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times, 18 Dec. 2024

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

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