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Definitions

recitation

[res-i-tey-shuhn] / ˌrɛs ɪˈteɪ ʃən /
NOUN
reading to audience
Synonyms
STRONGEST
monologue narration oration recital recounting rendering
STRONG
address appeal delivery discourse discussion exercise lecture passage performance piece playing proclamation rehearsal report selection speaking talk telling
WEAK
declaiming discoursing holding forth narrating soliloquizing
Antonyms
STRONG
denial quiet refusal silence whole

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I led everyone gathered in the auditorium in a rousing recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026

On the surface, this might seem like a straightforward recitation of the 14th Amendment’s text.

From Slate • Jun. 17, 2025

On the outside, it seems like it’s a quiet, calm ballad as it opens; Ellis on guitar, a recitation of the story of "a girl who’s got no history / got no past."

From Salon • May 13, 2025

According to plans, the procession will start in Parliament Square and a recitation of Winston Churchill's famous VE Day speech will be read when Big Ben strikes 12:00 BST.

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2025

We prayed together and we practised dhikr, the recitation of the ninety-nine revealed names of God.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.