Standard Lemma guide

recapitulation

noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˌɹiːkəˌpɪtjʊˈleɪʃ(ə)n/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: re·kə·pĭ·chə·lāʹshən
  • US: /ɹiː.kəˌpɪ.t͡ʃəˈleɪ.ʃ(ə)n/

1

noun

Meaning 1

A subsequent brief recitement or enumeration of the major points in a narrative, article, or book.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: summary

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

The third major section of a musical movement written in sonata form, representing thematic material that originally appeared in the exposition section.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

The reenactment of the embryonic development in evolution of the species.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: biology, natural-sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The symmetry provided by Christ's life to the teachings of the Old Testament; the summation of human experience in Jesus Christ.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

Topics: lifestyle, religion, theology

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

(music) the repetition of themes introduced earlier (especially when one is composing the final part of a movement)

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: composing, composition

6

noun

Meaning 6

a summary at the end that repeats the substance of a longer discussion

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: recap, review

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: capitulation

Narrower terms: epanodos

7

noun

Meaning 7

(music) the section of a composition or movement (especially in sonata form) in which musical themes that were introduced earlier are repeated

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: section, subdivision

8

noun

Meaning 8

emergence during embryonic development of various characters or structures that appeared during the evolutionary history of the strain or species

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: palingenesis

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: growth, growing, maturation, development, ontogeny, ontogenesis

History

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman recapitulaciun et al., Middle French recapitulacion et al., or their source, from Late Latin recapitulatio (“summing up, summary”), from the participle stem of recapitulare (“recapitulate”), from re- + capitulum (“chapter, section”), diminutive of caput (“head”).

Across languages

Translations

30 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: резюме (rezjume) — subsequent enumeration of the major points
  • Catalan: recapitulació — subsequent enumeration of the major points
  • Chinese Mandarin: 概括 (gàikuò) — subsequent enumeration of the major points
  • Czech: rekapitulace — subsequent enumeration of the major points
  • Dutch: recapitulatie — subsequent enumeration of the major points
  • Finnish: yhteenveto — subsequent enumeration of the major points
  • French: récapitulation — subsequent enumeration of the major points
  • German: Rekapitulation — subsequent enumeration of the major points
  • Greek: ανακεφαλαίωση (anakefalaíosi) — subsequent enumeration of the major points
  • Indonesian: ikhtisar — subsequent enumeration of the major points
  • Indonesian: rekapitulasi — subsequent enumeration of the major points
  • Indonesian: ringkasan — subsequent enumeration of the major points
  • Irish: achoimriú — subsequent enumeration of the major points
  • Italian: ricapitolazione — subsequent enumeration of the major points
  • Japanese: 要約 (yōyaku) — subsequent enumeration of the major points
  • Korean: 개요 (gaeyo) — subsequent enumeration of the major points
  • Latin: recapitulatio — subsequent enumeration of the major points
  • Polish: streszczenie — subsequent enumeration of the major points
  • Portuguese: recapitulação — subsequent enumeration of the major points
  • Russian: суммирование (summirovanije) — subsequent enumeration of the major points
  • Scottish Gaelic: ath-innse — subsequent enumeration of the major points
  • Spanish: recapitulación — subsequent enumeration of the major points
  • Swedish: rekapitulering — subsequent enumeration of the major points
  • Swedish: sammanfattning — subsequent enumeration of the major points
  • Swedish: rekapitulation — subsequent enumeration of the major points
  • Chinese Mandarin: 再現部 /再现部 — music: third major part of a movement in sonata form
  • Finnish: kertausjakso — music: third major part of a movement in sonata form
  • French: réexposition — music: third major part of a movement in sonata form
  • German: Reprise — music: third major part of a movement in sonata form
  • Spanish: reexposición — music: third major part of a movement in sonata form
Real reading context

recapitulation in complete knowledge articles