Meaning & use
a recital
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Meanings
nouncountable
A public performance of music or dance, usually given by one person or a small group.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a recital' or 'recitals'. Often used with 'give' or 'attend'.
Patterns
- give a recital
- attend a recital
- a piano recital
She gave a piano recital at the local hall.
We attended a dance recital last weekend.
The school holds a recital for students every spring.
nouncountableformal
The act of saying a poem, speech, or other text aloud from memory for an audience.
Grammar: Countable; often used in formal or literary contexts.
Patterns
- a recital of something
- give a recital
The student gave a recital of the famous speech.
His recital of the poem impressed the judges.
Word forms
| plural | recitals |
|---|
Common combinations
- piano recital
- My daughter is nervous about her piano recital.
- dance recital
- The dance recital will be held in the auditorium.
- give a recital
- The famous violinist will give a recital next month.
- attend a recital
- We plan to attend the recital on Friday evening.
Synonyms and how they differ
- concert
- A concert is usually a longer performance by a larger group, while a recital often features a soloist or small ensemble.
- performance
- Performance is a general word for any show; recital specifically suggests a classical music or dance setting.
Word family
- recitalist noun
- A person who gives a recital.
Commonly confused: a recital or recitation?
a recital vs recitation
Recitation means saying a text aloud from memory, often in a school context; a recital is a musical or dance performance.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'recital' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A recital is a musical or dance performance, so 'piano recital' fits. The other options confuse it with 'recitation' (saying text aloud) or with unrelated words like 'meal' or 'clothes'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a recital”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.