recount

recount — verb

1. to tell someone about something that happened, giving details of the events in t

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to tell someone about something that happened, giving details of the events in the order they occurred, especially when the events were personally experienced or witnessed.

Example

Adina recounted her trip to Japan at the family dinner table.

recount + possessive + noun phrase (trip to Japan)

The old fisherman recounted how he survived the storm at sea.

recount + how-clause

Common collocations
  • recount a story
  • recount an experience
  • recount events
  • recount a memory
  • recount a conversation
Synonyms
  • narrate

    more formal, often implies a structured storyline

  • relate

    formal, slightly old-fashioned

  • describe

    focuses on giving details rather than a sequence of events

  • tell

    more general and conversational; less formal than recount

Grammar Patterns

recount + noun phrase

recount + that-clause

recount + wh-clause

recount + to someone + noun phrase

Usage Note

Typically used with a direct object describing the event. Common in written narratives, memoirs, journalism, and formal speech. Less common in casual conversation than tell or talk about.

Common Mistakes

She recounted about her childhood.
She recounted her childhood.
'recount' takes a direct object without a preposition.
He recounted the story to happened.
He recounted the story that happened.
Use a relative clause, not an infinitive.

2. to count something for a second time in order to check that the first total is c

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to count something for a second time in order to check that the first total is correct, especially when there may have been a mistake.

Example

The election officials had to recount all the ballots after the machine error.

recount + noun phrase (ballots)

Feng recounted the cash in the register to make sure the amount matched the receipts.

recount + noun phrase (cash)

Common collocations
  • recount votes
  • recount ballots
  • recount the money
  • recount stock
  • recount inventory
  • recount the contents
Synonyms

Grammar Patterns

recount + noun phrase

be recounted (passive)

Usage Note

Frequently used in election contexts (recount votes/ballots), but also common for inventory, cash, or stock. Often appears in passive constructions: 'The votes were recounted three times.'

Common Mistakes

I need to recount the number.
I need to recount the items.
'recount' takes the thing being counted, not the number itself.

recount — noun

Word family

  • recounting
    nounC1
  • recounted
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four verbs involve giving an account of something, but they differ in formality and emphasis. RECOUNT suggests giving a detailed, step-by-step account of events that happened, often from personal experience — it sits between formal and neutral registers. NARRATE is more formal and suggests a structured, story-like telling, often with a beginning, middle, and end; it is the standard term for what a storyteller or a voiceover does. RELATE is also formal and slightly old-fashioned; it emphasises the act of connecting events to a listener. DESCRIBE focuses on painting a picture with details, not necessarily following a time sequence — you can describe a person or a scene without telling a story. TELL is the most general and conversational option. Example: 'Pedro recounted every detail of the car accident at the police station.' vs. 'Pedro told his friend about the accident over coffee.' The first sounds more formal and complete; the second is simpler and less structured.

narraterelate ↗describe ↗tell ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • vividly recount
  • briefly recount
  • calmly recount
  • publicly recount
  • accurately recount

Phrases

  • recount a story
  • recount an experience
  • a recount of votes
  • demand a recount
  • order a recount
  • recount the details

Prepositions

  • recount to
  • recount in

Etymology

Anglo-FrenchOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word 'recount' has two separate origins that merged into the same spelling. The 'tell a story' meaning comes from the Anglo-French 'reconter', from the prefix 're-' (again, back) plus 'conter' (to count, tell a story), making its way into English in the 15th century. The 'count again' meaning was formed later within English by simply adding the prefix 're-' to the verb 'count', influenced by the existing word. The noun meaning (vote recount) developed from the 'count again' sense in the 1800s as elections became more structured.