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 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 Since audits typically go back three years and up to six years, recollections of specific trips fade, and executives may no longer be with the company. Doug Gollan, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 Those recollections led her to disassemble some of the world's richest people in her book, but Swisher isn't worried about the blowback. Michael Liedtke, Quartz, 26 Feb. 2024 Gordon returned to his apartment and was later joined by Ortiz to hang out, according to what documents say is Ortiz's recollection. Dylan Wickman, The Arizona Republic, 22 Feb. 2024 Dateline reached out to Jemini’s boyfriend for his recollection of the day’s events but has yet to receive a response. Kyani Reid, NBC News, 21 Feb. 2024 Despite some inherent tension, there is a consensus that they were robbed of a bright light; and a range of emotions come through in their recollection of his short life, even shorter career, and his untimely death. Lotoya Francis, Rolling Stone, 19 Feb. 2024 Filled with shocking footage of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, coupled with first-person recollections of atrocities, Ferrara’s unconventional film heavily features poetic performance art by Smith throughout its runtime. Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 16 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 19 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

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