# recover

/ɹɪˈkəvɝ/ (US)

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

## Senses

### 1. to get better

verb · CEFR B1

to become healthy or happy again after an illness, injury, or difficult time.

For teachers: to return to a normal state of health, mind, or strength. Often used intransitively with the preposition 'from'.

- It took her nearly three weeks to fully recover from the flu.
- Economists predict the region will take several years to recover from the structural damage caused by the sudden collapse of its primary industry.

### 2. to get something back

verb · CEFR B1

to find and get back something that was lost, stolen, or taken away.

For teachers: to regain possession or control of something formerly lost or surrendered. Transitive — requires a direct object.

- The police were able to recover the stolen car two days later.
- Divers spent months attempting to recover the gold bullion from the shipwreck, battling unpredictable currents and poor visibility at the seabed.

### 3. to win compensation

verb · CEFR C1 · Formal · Technical

to get money or property back through a legal decision.

For teachers: to obtain a judgement for or receive a sum of money as compensation through a formal legal process.

- The company is trying to recover the costs of the damaged equipment.
- The plaintiff sought to recover damages for breach of contract, arguing that the defendant's negligence resulted in significant lost revenue.

Usage: Often used in the context of damages or debts.

### 4. to cover again

verb · CEFR B2

to put a new cover on something, like a chair or a roof.

For teachers: to provide with a new surface or covering. Often hyphenated as 're-cover' to distinguish from the sense of regaining health.

- We decided to recover the old sofa with a bright blue fabric.
- The contractor advised that it would be more cost-effective to recover the existing roof membrane than to replace the entire structure.

Teaching tip: In writing, use a hyphen (re-cover) to make it clear you mean 'to cover again' rather than 'to get better'.

### 5. military position

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a specific way of holding a gun during military practice.

For teachers: a specific position in which a firearm is held during drills, typically with the lock at shoulder height.

- The soldiers moved their rifles to the recover position on the sergeant's command.
- During the drill, the recruits were instructed to bring their pieces to the recover, ensuring the slings faced outward as per regulation.

## Examples

- She needs time to recover from her surgery.
- The police managed to recover the stolen paintings just two days after the museum break-in.
- Economists predict the market will take several years to fully recover from the recent downturn, despite the aggressive stimulus packages introduced by the central bank.

---

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.