recount

1 of 3

verb (1)

re·​count ri-ˈkau̇nt How to pronounce recount (audio)
recounted; recounting; recounts
Synonyms of recountnext

transitive verb

: to relate in detail : narrate
recounter noun

recount

2 of 3

verb (2)

re·​count (ˌ)rē-ˈkau̇nt How to pronounce recount (audio)
recounted; recounting; recounts

transitive verb

: to count again

recount

3 of 3

noun

re·​count ˈrē-ˌkau̇nt How to pronounce recount (audio)
(ˌ)rē-ˈkau̇nt
: a second or fresh count

Synonyms

Verb (1)

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of recount in a Sentence

Verb (1) a novel that recounted an American soldier's adventures among the samurai warriors of 19th-century Japan Noun The election was very close and the loser demanded a recount.
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.
Verb
The students recounted one of their favorite Goodmark moments. — Sarah Lustbader, The New Yorker, 9 Mar. 2025 The puzzle deepened the following year, when the bodies of the couple’s two younger daughters surfaced near Bonneville Dam, The Oregonian recounted. — Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 6 Mar. 2025
Noun
Bucharest annulled the results of the first round of the election, opted for a rerun, and ordered a recount. — Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 10 Mar. 2025 On the other hand, Trump's margins of victory — both in raw votes and in percentages — were small by historical standards, even for the past quarter century, when close elections have been the rule, including the 2000 Florida recount election and Trump's previous two races in 2016 and 2020. — Riley Hoffman, ABC News, 4 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for recount

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1)

Middle English, from Anglo-French recunter, from re- + cunter to count, relate — more at count

Verb (2)

re- + count

First Known Use

Verb (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1764, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1850, in the meaning defined above

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

Rhymes for recount

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Browse Nearby Words

recount
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Cite this Entry

“Recount.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recount. Accessed 21 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

recount

1 of 3 verb
re·​count ri-ˈkau̇nt How to pronounce recount (audio)
: to tell about in detail : narrate
recount an adventure

recount

2 of 3 verb
re·​count (ˈ)rē-ˈkau̇nt How to pronounce recount (audio)
: to count again

recount

3 of 3 noun
re·​count ˈrē-ˌkau̇nt How to pronounce recount (audio)
(ˈ)rē-ˈkau̇nt
: a second or fresh count (as of election votes)
Etymology

Verb

Middle English recounten "to tell about," from early French recunter (same meaning), from re- "again" and cunter "relate, count"

Verb

from English re- (prefix) and count

More from Merriam-Webster on recount

Nglish: Translation of recount for Spanish Speakers

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