memory, remembrance, recollection, reminiscence mean the capacity for or the act of remembering, or the thing remembered. memory applies both to the power of remembering and to what is remembered.

Idiom to the best of my recollection (Definition of recollection from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

RECOLLECTION definition: the act or power of recollecting, or recalling to mind; remembrance. See examples of recollection used in a sentence.

Definition of recollection noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

1. The act or power of recollecting: He is not, to my recollection, a very good musician. 2. Something recollected: recollections of past holidays.

If you have a recollection of something, you remember it. He has vivid recollections of the trip.

rec•ol•lec•tion /ˌrɛkəˈlɛkʃən/ n. [uncountable] the act or power of recollecting or remembering or recalling to mind: a sudden flash of recollection. something remembered; a memory:[countable] He wrote …

There are six meanings listed in OED's entry for the noun recollection, two of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

Recollection is either the process of remembering something or a specific memory. If someone says, "To the best of my recollection, I never met Ted," they're saying they tried to remember Ted and couldn’t.

Feb 22, 2026 · recollection (usually uncountable, plural recollections) The power of recalling ideas to the mind, or the period within which things can be recollected; remembrance. Alas that distant event isn't …