re-

back, again; restoration or reversal

Forms

re-
red- — An early Latin form used before vowels and h.

Origin

Its ancestry before Latin is uncertain.

Note

In some old compounds the prefix adds emphasis, while in others its separate contribution has become unclear.

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verb

recollect

rek-uh-LEKT/ˌrekəˈlekt/

To bring back to mind.

The woman recollects flying a kite during her childhood.

Etymology

reLatinback, again; restoration or reversal

+collectLatingather together or select

“Gather again” supplies the image behind remembering: knowledge once possessed is brought back to mind. The gathering is mental rather than a fresh collection of physical things.

In context

LibriVox Audiobooks330:41

All I remember is pain and then dullness. I recollect lying in a huge corrugated iron elephant hut

Everyman at War. Sixty Personal Narratives of the War by Charles B. Purdom Part 1/3 | Audio Book

More examples

Do you recollect where you left your keys?
She recollected their conversation as she walked home.
As far as I recollect, the store closes at six.

Forms

recollect · recollects · recollected · recollecting

recollection noun — A memory or the act of remembering.

Similar words

remember: More broadly includes keeping something in memory, not just retrieving it.
recall: A close alternative, commonly used for retrieving specific facts.