# recall

/ˈɹiˌkɔɫ/ (US)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/recall
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to remember

verb · CEFR B2

to bring a fact, event, or situation back into your mind.

For teachers: to retrieve information or experiences from memory. Often used with a direct object or a 'that' clause.

- I can't recall exactly what he said during the meeting yesterday.
- The witness struggled to recall the specific details of the vehicle, though she was certain about the driver's height.

### 2. to order the return of a product

verb · CEFR B2

to ask customers to return a product because it is broken or dangerous.

For teachers: to issue a formal request for the return of a batch of products due to safety defects or manufacturing errors.

- The car company had to recall thousands of vehicles because of a brake problem.
- The manufacturer decided to recall the entire line of infant car seats after a minor structural flaw was discovered during routine testing.

### 3. to summon back

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal

to officially ask someone to return to a place.

For teachers: to officially summon someone back to a previous location, station, or duty.

- The ambassador was recalled to his home country for urgent talks.
- Following the sudden escalation of the border dispute, the government recalled its senior diplomats to the capital for an emergency briefing.

### 4. the ability to remember

noun · CEFR B2

the ability to remember things you have seen or heard.

For teachers: the faculty or power of remembering; the capacity for information retrieval.

- She has an amazing recall of names and faces, even after many years.
- The candidate's total recall of obscure legislative details impressed the interview panel during the final round of questioning.

### 5. a product return

noun · CEFR B2

an official order to return a faulty or dangerous product.

For teachers: a public request by a manufacturer for the return of a product that may be defective or unsafe.

- The supermarket issued a recall for the chicken because of a health risk.
- The massive product recall cost the electronics firm millions in lost revenue and severely damaged its reputation for quality control.

### 6. removing an official

noun · CEFR C1 · American English · Formal

a vote to remove an elected leader from their job before their time is finished.

For teachers: a procedure by which voters can remove an elected official from office through a direct vote before their term has ended.

- The governor faced a recall after the public became unhappy with his new taxes.
- The city charter allows for a recall election if a sufficient number of registered voters sign a formal petition within ninety days.

## Examples

- She has an amazing recall of names and dates.
- The witness had poor recall of the events because the accident happened so quickly and in the dark.
- Total recall is a rare cognitive phenomenon, as most human memory is reconstructive and subject to gradual decay or interference from subsequent experiences.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.