recollection

noun

rec·​ol·​lec·​tion ˌre-kə-ˈlek-shən How to pronounce recollection (audio)
1
a
: tranquility of mind
b
: religious contemplation
2
a
: the action or power of recalling to mind
b
: something recalled to the mind
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 His lawyers have pointed to the failure of the weapon during testing to support Baldwin’s recollection of his role in the tragic shooting. Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 15 Mar. 2024 Gayles tells James’ story with a foundation of traditional documentary elements, including interviews with James’ father, mother and sister, as well as his fiancée, and conversations/confessions/recollections from James delivered with the tinny audio of a prison telephone system. Daniel Fienberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2024 Read more of Brown’s recollection of the heroic act by clicking the link below. Saleen Martin, USA TODAY, 13 Mar. 2024 The officers’ retelling of events and Donaldson’s recollection don’t match up. Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2024 In Tosta’s recollection, the album rolled out easily. Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 5 Mar. 2024 Where to Stream Every Season of the Law & Order Franchise With the help of Miguel's recollection, Lieutenant Kate Dixon (Camryn Manheim) and some security video, the detectives then figured out that a conspicuous-looking Princeton alum was also in the park during the time of Veronica's death. Alex Ross, Peoplemag, 23 Feb. 2024 Indeed, Louis has structured Change to surface these connections at the expense of other possible tales that might be teased from his recollections. Tope Folarin, The Atlantic, 29 Feb. 2024 However, Halls’ recollection of that key event varies from other witnesses to the shooting. Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 29 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'recollection.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of recollection was in 1611

Dictionary Entries Near recollection

Cite this Entry

“Recollection.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recollection. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

recollection

noun
rec·​ol·​lec·​tion ˌrek-ə-ˈlek-shən How to pronounce recollection (audio)
1
: the action or power of recalling to mind
2
: something recalled to the mind

More from Merriam-Webster on recollection

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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