recapitulate
- To summarize and restate the main points of something that has already been said or discussed.
- In biology, to repeat the evolutionary stages of a species during individual development (as in the now largely discredited recapitulation theory).
In a sentence
- At the end of the lecture, the professor recapitulated the three central arguments for easy review.
- Let me recapitulate what we've agreed on before we move to the next agenda item.
Usage note. Recapitulate is more formal than its clipped form 'recap'; in professional or academic writing it fits well, but in conversation 'recap' or 'summarize' tends to sound less stiff.
Where it comes from
English recapitulate · entered English late 16th c.
From Medieval Latin 'recapitulare,' meaning 'to go through heading by heading,' from 're-' (again) and 'capitulum,' meaning 'little head' or 'chapter heading,' a diminutive of 'caput,' meaning 'head.' It entered English in the late 16th century.