verb

recollect

reh-kuh-LEHKT

verb

To bring a past memory back to mind; to remember, often with some effort.

"I can't quite recollect where I left my keys."

"She recollected the day they first met."

How to Use Recollect

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo remember something, especially by making an effort to recall it.

Common mistake

Similar to "remember" but often implies more deliberate effort to recall detail, as opposed to something that just comes to mind automatically.

Common pairings

as far as I recollect recollect the details

recollected past tense, recollected past tense, Recollects plural, recollects singular, recollects singular

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I can't quite _____ where I left my keys.

From Latin recolligere, "to gather again," from re- ("again") and colligere ("to collect, gather"). Formed the same way as "recollection."

collect