recapitulate

USAGE SUMMARY

The word "recapitulate" is correct and can be used in written English.
You can use it when you want to summarize a previous discussion, or when you want to state the main points of something concisely. For example, "Let me recapitulate: we will be reviewing the sales figures from last quarter and discussing plans for the upcoming quarter."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Let me therefore present my response.First, to recapitulate, the income of the median worker in the United States has been stagnating since the early 1980s relative to the incomes of workers at the 90th percentile of the income distribution.

The Economist

The Royal Society hopes to recapitulate this idea with its new offering, Royal Society Open Science.Free hitsWhether the experience of Nature Communications will overcome researchers' misgivings remains to be seen.

The Economist

But for the moment it looks as if the history of nanotubes will recapitulate the history of chemistry itself, with the inorganic side proving more tractable than all that messy organic stuff.

The Economist

"Egglab" tries to recapitulate the evolution of crypsis in nightjar eggs by asking the public to act as predators and play "spot the egg" in photos of places where these ground-nesting birds might lay their clutches.

The Economist

The combined implication of these three observations is that, at some point there will need to be a shift in how the price of oil is determined, with considerations of resource exhaustion playing a bigger role than they have historically.Mr Hamilton goes on to recapitulate arguments he's made elsewhere, on the impact of oil shocks on growth.

The Economist

To return to the stereoscopic perception of three-dimensional space, one may recapitulate that it is because the two eyes receive different images of the same object that the stereoscopic percept happens; when the two images of the object are identical, then, except under very special conditions, the object has no three-dimensionality.

Encyclopedia Britannica

The tendencies to revise and even recapitulate, when copying manuscripts, are readily understood.

Encyclopedia Britannica

To recapitulate, force is associated with the acceleration of a mass; kinetic energy, or energy resulting from motion, is the result of the spatial integration of a force acting on a mass; momentum is the result of the temporal integration of the force acting on a mass; and energy is a measure of the capacity to do work.

Encyclopedia Britannica

However, in 2001, work began to resurrect the Ottoman original, its makers employing old techniques to recapitulate its celebrated hump-backed form.

Independent

The results have been prodigious: six novels that recapitulate in Turkish the twentieth-century novel's major modes.

The New Yorker

Every new runway season seems to recapitulate some version of the artificial face-off between decadent royalism and radical chic, and has done so for about twenty years.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "recapitulate" when you want to provide a structured and concise summary of previously discussed material, especially in formal settings.

Common error

Avoid using "recapitulate" in casual conversations or informal writing; simpler words like "summarize" or "recap" are often more appropriate.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "recapitulate" is as a verb, used transitively to indicate summarizing or restating the main points of a topic or argument. Ludwig's analysis confirms its usage across various contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

39%

Encyclopedias

12%

Science

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

5%

Academia

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "recapitulate" is a verb used to describe the act of summarizing or restating the main points of a discussion or argument. As indicated by Ludwig AI, its use is grammatically correct and it is commonly found in various formal contexts, particularly in news media, encyclopedias, and scientific writing. While highly effective for providing clarity and reinforcing understanding in professional and academic settings, avoid its use in casual conversation where more straightforward alternatives like "summarize" or "recap" may be more appropriate. By understanding its proper context and usage, you can effectively employ "recapitulate" to enhance your written and spoken communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

summarize briefly

This alternative conveys a concise summary, emphasizing brevity.

restate concisely

This alternative emphasizes the act of restating information in a brief manner.

state in summary form

This alternative focuses on presenting information in a condensed manner.

put in a nutshell

This alternative is an idiom that means to state something briefly and directly.

review the main points

This alternative suggests a review, highlighting key aspects.

run through the key facts

This alternative phrase means to quickly review the key information.

give a synopsis

This alternative indicates a short description of the main points of something.

outline the essentials

This alternative emphasizes the most important aspects of a topic.

present a digest

This alternative focuses on providing a condensed and organized version of information.

go over the highlights

This alternative suggests a review of the most interesting or important parts.

FAQs

How can I use "recapitulate" in a sentence?

You can use "recapitulate" to introduce a summary of previous statements, such as "To "recapitulate", the main points are..."

What words have similar meanings to "recapitulate"?

Similar words include "summarize", "recap", and "review", each carrying slight differences in formality and context.

Is it better to say "recapitulate" or "summarize"?

"Recapitulate" is generally more formal than "summarize". Use "recapitulate" in academic or professional contexts, and "summarize" in more general settings.

What's the difference between "recapitulate" and "repeat"?

"Recapitulate" implies a concise summary of the main points, while "repeat" means to say or do something again, possibly in the same level of detail.