ENGLISH
REFERENCE

recall

n. C / U
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈɹiˌkɔɫ// re·call General-service

n. the ability to remember information or past events. You use this when talking about how well someone can bring a memory back into their mind.

n. the mental process or faculty of retrieving information from the past. Often used in psychological contexts to distinguish between recognition and active memory retrieval.


SIMPLE

She has an amazing recall of names and dates.

CONTEXTUAL

The witness had poor recall of the events because the accident happened so quickly and in the dark.

COMPLEX

Total recall is a rare cognitive phenomenon, as most human memory is reconstructive and subject to gradual decay or interference from subsequent experiences.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Origin

From re- + call, probably modelled on Latin revocāre, French rappeler, English withcall.

Usage

Often used with 'of' to specify the subject of the memory. In commercial contexts, it refers to the official return of a faulty product.

© 2026 English Reference