recover
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to get back or regain (something lost or taken away).
to recover a stolen watch.
-
to make up for or make good (loss, damage, etc., to oneself ).
-
to regain the strength, composure, balance, or the like, of (oneself ).
-
Law.
-
to obtain by judgment in a court of law, or by legal proceedings.
to recover damages for a wrong.
-
to acquire title to through judicial process.
to recover land.
-
-
to reclaim from a bad state, practice, etc.
-
to regain (a substance) in usable form, as from refuse material or from a waste product or by-product of manufacture; reclaim.
-
Military. to return (a weapon) to a previously held position in the manual of arms.
-
Football. to gain or regain possession of (a fumble).
They recovered the ball on their own 20-yard line.
verb (used without object)
-
to regain health after being sick, wounded, or the like (often followed byfrom ).
to recover from an illness.
- Synonyms:
- rally, recuperate, mend, heal
-
to regain a former and better state or condition.
The city soon recovered from the effects of the earthquake.
-
to regain one's strength, composure, balance, etc.
-
Law. to obtain a favorable judgment in a suit for something.
-
Football. to gain or regain possession of a fumble.
The Giants recovered in the end zone for a touchdown.
-
to make a recovery in fencing or rowing.
verb
-
(tr) to find again or obtain the return of (something lost)
-
to regain (loss of money, position, time, etc); recoup
-
(of a person) to regain (health, spirits, composure, etc), as after illness, a setback, or a shock, etc
-
to regain (a former and usually better condition)
industry recovered after the war
-
law
-
(tr) to gain (something) by the judgment of a court of law
to recover damages
-
(intr) to succeed in a lawsuit
-
-
(tr) to obtain (useful substances) from waste
-
(intr) (in fencing, swimming, rowing, etc) to make a recovery
Related Words
Recover, reclaim, retrieve are to regain literally or figuratively something or someone. To recover is to obtain again what one has lost possession of: to recover a stolen jewel. To reclaim is to bring back from error or wrongdoing, or from a rude or undeveloped state: to reclaim desert land by irrigation. To retrieve is to bring back or restore, especially something to its former, prosperous state: to retrieve one's fortune.
Other Word Forms
- recoverability noun
- recoverable adjective
- recoverer noun
Etymology
Origin of recover
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English recoveren, from Middle French recoverer, from Latin recuperāre “to regain”; recuperate
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Missions to recover downed US pilots have been rare in recent decades.
From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026
Although the plan was ultimately stopped, the team acted quickly to recover as many fossils as possible.
From Science Daily • Apr. 3, 2026
“When he makes a mistake, how quickly can he recover? What’s his range in the open field? What’s the speed differential? All those things are things we’re looking through on just about everybody out there.”
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026
“Similar to other major carriers, when costs remain elevated, we implement temporary surcharges on our fulfillment fees to recover a portion of the actual cost increases we are experiencing,” Amazon said in the announcement Thursday.
From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026
When he saw the goddess’s torches blazing, the giant seemed to recover his wits.
From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
