Recapitulate Meaning, Examples and a Short Quiz

January 6, 2025 · English Skill Studio · 3 min read

Recapitulate (verb) means to go over the main points of something again, usually in a brief summary. You might recapitulate a discussion, a lesson or the steps in a plan.

Example: Before we finish, let me recapitulate the three decisions we made today.

Pronunciation guide: ree-kuh-PICH-uh-layt (one common American pronunciation). The capital letters mark the main stressed syllable.

What does recapitulate mean?

Imagine a meeting with several suggestions and decisions. At the end, someone briefly revisits the important points so that everyone remembers the plan. That person is recapitulating the discussion.

The word is formal. In an everyday conversation, recap, sum up or go over the main points again will often sound more natural. A useful recapitulation keeps the essential information; it does not need every sentence of the original discussion.

Recapitulate in a sentence

Could you recapitulate the main points for the students who arrived late?
The chairperson recapitulated our decisions before closing the meeting.
The final paragraph recapitulates the argument in a few clear sentences.
I am recapitulating the instructions so that we all know what to do next.
To recapitulate, we will draft the invitation today and send it tomorrow.

Useful patterns and word forms

Use recapitulate + what you are summarising: recapitulate the discussion, the findings, the events or the key ideas. You can also begin a summary with “To recapitulate, …”

Base form: recapitulate — We recapitulate the lesson.
He/she/it: recapitulates — She recapitulates the lesson.
Past form: recapitulated — Yesterday, we recapitulated the lesson.
-ing form: recapitulating — We are recapitulating the lesson.
Noun: recapitulation — The report ends with a brief recapitulation.

After can, could or will, use the base form: “Could she recapitulate the plan?”

Recapitulate, summarise and repeat

Summarise is a common alternative. Recapitulate often highlights going back over material already presented. Repeat is broader: you can repeat one word or give the same instructions in full. When asked to recapitulate, aim to bring the main ideas together clearly.

Short quiz: check your understanding

Try each question before opening its answer. The writing question has a sample answer for self-review.

1. Choose the meaning

“Please recapitulate the discussion in two sentences.” Are you being asked to A) give its main points again, B) start an unrelated discussion, or C) stop people from talking?

Show answer 1 and explanation

A. You are being asked for a short summary of the discussion’s main points.

2. Choose the correct form

“Yesterday, Maya ___ the plan before the team started.” Choose recapitulate, recapitulated or recapitulating.

Show answer 2 and explanation

Recapitulated. The sentence describes a completed action yesterday, so it uses the past simple form.

3. Write a short recapitulation

Your group agreed to meet at 10 a.m., bring a draft and review the introduction first. Summarise the plan in one sentence beginning “To recapitulate, …”

Show answer 3 and explanation

Sample: “To recapitulate, we will meet at 10 a.m., bring our drafts and review the introduction first.” Your wording may differ; check that you included all three decisions.

Try it today: After reading a short article, close it and recapitulate its main idea in two sentences. Reopen it to check that your summary is accurate.

Dictionary references: Merriam-Webster: Recapitulate and Cambridge Dictionary: Recapitulate. Examples and quiz questions on this page are written for English Skill Studio.

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