recap
High (B2)Neutral, slightly informal; common in spoken and business contexts.
Definition
Meaning
To summarise or repeat the main points of something.
In business/meetings: A summary of previous discussions or actions. In media: A brief summary of previous events in a series. In finance/retail: The act of renewing a capital structure or putting a new tread on a tyre.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily a verb; the noun 'a recap' is a back-formation from the verb. Can imply a quick, concise repetition of key information.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Spelling: 'Recap' is standard in both. 'Recapping' and 'recapped' are standard verb forms. The noun form 'a recap' is slightly more common in American English.
Connotations
Slightly more informal/businessy in British English; very common and neutral in American media and business contexts.
Frequency
Higher frequency in American English, especially in media ('previously on...' recaps) and corporate meetings.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] recap [Object] (e.g., Let me recap the key issues).[Subject] recap on [Topic] (e.g., She recapped on last week's decisions).[Subject] give a recap of [Topic] (e.g., He gave a quick recap of the project).Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To recap and run: (Informal) To summarise quickly and move on.”
- “In a nutshell: (Not 'recap' but a synonymous idiom for a summary.)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Essential for meetings: 'Let's recap the action points before we finish.'
Academic
Used in lectures/seminars: 'To recap, the three main theories are...'
Everyday
Common in conversation: 'Wait, can you recap? I missed the first part.'
Technical
In project management/software development: 'The daily stand-up begins with a recap of yesterday's work.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Could you recap the key takeaways from the workshop?
- I'll just briefly recap on the financial figures.
American English
- Let me recap what we agreed on in the last meeting.
- The host recapped the rules before the game started.
adjective
British English
- The recap session was useful for new joiners.
- We need a recap slide for the presentation.
American English
- She provided a recap email after the call.
- The recap segment at the start of the show is helpful.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The teacher will recap the lesson.
- I will recap the story for you.
- Let me quickly recap the main points of the plan.
- At the start of the meeting, we recapped last month's sales.
- Before we delve into new business, I'd like to recap the decisions from our previous session.
- The episode began with a recap of the dramatic season finale.
- The chairperson expertly recapped the complex deliberations, distilling them into three actionable resolutions.
- His analysis served not merely to recap existing scholarship but to synthesise it into a novel framework.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a CAPsule summary: RE-CAP = to put the CAP back on the story by summarising it.
Conceptual Metaphor
JOURNEY (Retracing steps), CONTAINER (Putting the main points back into a compact form).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating directly as 'повторить' (to repeat) without the summarising nuance. Use 'подвести итоги', 'сделать краткий обзор'.
- Do not confuse with 'recapitulate' which is much more formal and rare.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'recap' to mean simply 'repeat' verbatim, not summarise. *'He recapped the entire lecture word for word.' (Incorrect use).
- Misspelling as 're-cap' (though sometimes hyphenated, solid form is standard).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'recap' LEAST appropriate?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is neutral but leans slightly informal. In very formal writing, 'summarise' or 'recapitulate' might be preferred.
'Recap' is often a quick, verbal restatement of the most important points. A 'summary' can be more detailed and written. A recap is a type of summary, usually brief and oral.
Yes, very commonly. For example: 'Here's a quick recap of the news.' The noun use is a back-formation from the verb.
The standard pronunciation for the summary meaning is 'REE-cap' (stress on the first syllable). 're-CAP' (stress on the second) is rare and refers specifically to putting a new tread on a tyre (retread).