What does recapitulate mean?
Word: Recapitulate
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Recapitulate means to go back over the main points of what has already been said.
Synonyms: recap
How do you spell recapitulate?
Syllables: re - ca - pit - u - late
Tricky part: The word looks as if it grew out of capital, so pupils put an a or an i after the t. The vowel there is a u.
Watch out for: recapitalate, recapitilate
Memory tip: A good speaker sums Up at the end, so let that U follow the t.
Recapitulate in a sentence
Example 1: Before the bell rang, Mrs Iyer recapitulated the main causes of the monsoon.
Example 2: Here is what we agreed, and I will recapitulate it once: the posters go up on Monday and the stall opens on Friday.
Example 3: At the end of the debate each speaker had one minute to recapitulate the argument.
Fun Fact
Behind this word is the Latin for a little head, which came to mean a section of a book. English chapter comes from the same Latin word.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
recapitulatte
a) c
b) a
c) t
d) l
Show answer
c) t. Late sits at the end of the word just as it does on its own, with no doubling.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
The principal asked Farah to itperuaatlec the rules of the inter-house quiz at the end of assembly.
a) recuperate
b) reiterate
c) recapitulate
d) recalculate
Show answer
c) recapitulate. A p, an l and a pair of t's are all in the jumble, and no other option has that set.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word recapitulate as used in the sentence:
The guide paused at the gate to recapitulate the safety rules for the trek.
a) question
b) rewrite
c) postpone
d) summarise
Show answer
d) summarise. She is not changing or delaying the rules; she is giving them again in short.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. elaboratte 2. narate 3. abreviate 4. recapitulate
a) to tell a story or describe events aloud
b) to restate in brief what came before
c) to make a word or text shorter
d) to explain a thing in much more detail
Show answer
b) to restate in brief what came before. Narrate has a double r, elaborate needs one t, and abbreviate needs two b's.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Why might a speaker recapitulate at the close of a long talk?
a) to bring in a topic nobody expected
b) to check how much time is left over
c) to fix the key ideas in people's minds
d) to thank the hall staff for their help
Show answer
c) to fix the key ideas in people's minds
2. Which line would most naturally open a recapitulation?
a) So, to sum up what we have covered,
b) Would anyone care for a glass of water,
c) Now I will begin with a new story,
d) Please open your books at page nine,
Show answer
a) So, to sum up what we have covered,
