1. to repeat the main points of something that has been said or written; to summarize
2. to repeat or reproduce the stages of a process or development
Usage: biology; formal

Examples

• The professor recapitulates the key concepts at the end of each lecture.
• Let me recapitulate what we discussed in today’s meeting.
• The final chapter recapitulates the main themes of the novel.
• The speaker recapitulates her argument before concluding.
• In biology, embryonic development recapitulates evolutionary history.
• The documentary recapitulates the events leading to the war.
• She recapitulates the evidence presented during the trial.