recital
gb/ɹɪsˈaɪtəl/ us/ɹɪsˈaɪtəl/
B2
English
~ 9200
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B2
event
1
public solo or small-group performance
A show where one person or a small group plays music, dances, or says poems in front of people.
Usage pattern:
[someone] gives [a] recital; [a] [instrument] recital; [a] [dance/poetry] recital
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "recital" with "rehearsal". A "rehearsal" is a practice and usually not open to the public, while a "recital" is a real performance for an audience. Learners may also think a recital is only for classical music, but it can be for dance or poetry as well.
Synonyms
concert (Usually suggests a larger musical performance, often with more performers or a full program, not always focused on one person.)
|
performance (Very general word for any show; does not suggest the small, often solo nature that "recital" usually has.)
Antonyms
rehearsal (A practice session without a full public audience, while a recital is normally a finished performance for an audience.)
Collocations
piano recital
|dance recital
|violin recital
|solo recital
|give a recital
|school recital
Themes
arts
|entertainment
|education
|arts_entertainment
|communication
Examples
- She’s giving a piano recital at the community center next Friday.
- Their daughter had her first dance recital at the end of the school year.
- The violin recital featured works by Bach and Beethoven.
- We bought tickets to an evening song recital at the old theater.
- After weeks of practice, the students were ready for the school recital.
Learner examples
- My son will play in a piano recital this weekend.
- The dance recital is on Saturday night.
- We went to a violin recital at the university.
- She is nervous about her first school recital.
- He practices every day for his guitar recital.
Noun
C1
action
2
act of reciting from memory
When a person says a poem or other text aloud from memory, often in front of other people.
Usage pattern:
[someone] gives [a] recital of [a poem/text]; [a] recital of [a] poem
Common mistake:
Learners may think "recital" only means a music show. In this sense, it can also mean saying a poem or text from memory. Many learners also confuse "recital" with "reading"; a recital is from memory, while a reading can be done from the page.
Synonyms
recitation (Very close in meaning; slightly more common for the classroom activity of saying something learned by heart.)
Antonyms
improvisation (Improvisation means speaking or performing without prepared or memorized words, the opposite of a set recital.)
Collocations
poetry recital
|recital of a poem
|Bible recital
|verse recital
|children’s recital
Themes
education
|communication
|arts_entertainment
Examples
- Each child had to give a short recital of a poem in front of the class.
- The teacher organized a poetry recital to help students practice speaking from memory.
- Her flawless recital of the speech impressed the judges.
- They practiced the Bible passage every evening before the final recital at church.
- His nervousness showed during the recital of his lines in the school play.
Learner examples
- I must give a recital of a poem tomorrow.
- The students prepare a short recital for their parents.
- She did a recital of a long speech from memory.
- We listened to his recital of the story in class.
- The teacher asked for a recital of the first ten lines.
Noun
formal
C1
entity
3
long detailed list-like account
A long, careful story or list that gives many facts or details, often so many that it feels boring.
Usage pattern:
[a] recital of [facts/events/names]; [a] long recital of [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "recital" when they mean a simple "story" or "comment". In this sense, a recital usually sounds long or detailed, often too detailed, like a list of facts or events.
Synonyms
account (A general word for a description of what happened; "recital" suggests a more detailed, item-by-item listing.)
|
enumeration (A formal word for a step-by-step list; similar idea but focuses more on the listing than the narrative feel of "recital".)
Antonyms
summary (A summary gives only the main points briefly, while a recital goes through many details at length.)
Collocations
a long recital
|a tedious recital
|a recital of facts
|a recital of events
|a recital of complaints
Themes
communication
|work
|education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The report begins with a dry recital of the company’s financial results.
- He launched into a long recital of everything that had gone wrong that day.
- The article offers a detailed recital of the events leading up to the crisis.
- Her email was basically a recital of complaints about the new system.
- The judge was not interested in a recital of past arguments between the parties.
Learner examples
- The letter included a long recital of past problems.
- He gave the police a careful recital of the events.
- The article starts with a recital of key facts.
- Her speech was a boring recital of numbers.
- The manager did not want a recital of excuses.
Noun
technical
C2
entity
4
introductory clauses in a contract
In a contract or legal paper, the part at the beginning that explains the background and reasons before the main rules and terms.
Usage pattern:
the recitals to [an agreement]; as stated in the recitals; [the] recitals section
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this legal meaning with the everyday meaning of a performance. In contracts, "recitals" are not about music or shows; they are background statements at the start of the document.
Synonyms
preamble (Also means an introduction, especially in formal or legal texts; a preamble can be broader, while "recitals" are a specific part of contracts listing background facts.)
Antonyms
operative provisions (The operative provisions are the main rules and obligations of a contract, while the recitals only explain background facts and purposes.)
Collocations
contract recitals
|the recitals to this agreement
|recitals section
|whereas recitals
|recitals clause
Themes
law
|business
|communication
Examples
- The recitals to this agreement set out the parties’ intentions and the background to the transaction.
- As stated in the recitals, the company wishes to expand its operations into Europe.
- Lawyers often use the recitals to clarify the purpose and context of the contract.
- Any conflict between the recitals and the operative clauses shall be resolved in favor of the operative clauses.
- The judge referred to the recitals to understand the original purpose of the agreement.
Learner examples
- The contract begins with recitals explaining why it was made.
- In the recitals, the company describes its business and goals.
- The lawyer told us that the recitals are not the main rules of the contract.
- The recitals section gives background information about the deal.
- Some people skip the recitals, but they can be important.
Grammar
Dictionary form
recital
IPA
GB/ɹɪsˈaɪtəl/
US/ɹɪsˈaɪtəl/
Syllables & stress
re - cit - al (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (cit)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: recital
- Plural: recital, recitals
Word family
Forms
recitals
noun
Core family
recite
verb B1
recitation
noun B2
Related words
reciter
noun
Advanced or less common
recitalist
noun
recitative
noun
Expressions
dance recital
1/dˈæns ɹɪsˈaɪtəl/
fixed phrase
public dance performance
A show where people, often children or students, dance on a stage for others to watch.
Examples
- Their daughter’s dance recital will be held at the end of the school year.
- Parents filled the auditorium for the children’s dance recital.
give a recital
1/ɡˈɪv ə ɹɪsˈaɪtəl/
fixed phrase
perform a recital for an audience
To do a recital, such as playing music or dancing, for people who come to watch or listen.
Examples
- She’ll give a recital of Chopin pieces at the end of the term.
- The young guitarist is giving a recital at the local arts center tonight.
piano recital
1/piˈænoʊ ɹɪsˈaɪtəl/
fixed phrase
public piano performance
A show where someone plays the piano for people to listen to.
Examples
- She’s preparing for her final piano recital at the music school.
- We went to a piano recital in the small concert hall downtown.
poetry recital
1/pˈoʊətɹi ɹɪsˈaɪtəl/
fixed phrase
event for reciting poems aloud
An event where people say poems aloud to a group of listeners.
Examples
- The university is hosting a poetry recital next Thursday evening.
- He first shared his work in a small poetry recital at a local café.
school recital
1/skˈul ɹɪsˈaɪtəl/
fixed phrase
student performance event at school
A show at a school where students play music, dance, or say poems for parents and friends.
Examples
- Parents were invited to the school recital to see what the children had learned.
- The school recital takes place in the gym every spring.