Recall
verb / nounBase recall · Past recalled · Past Participle recalled · Present Participle recalling · 3rd person recalls
Definition
1. (verb) To remember something from the past — especially details, events, or experiences.
2. (verb) To officially order a product to be returned because it is faulty or dangerous.
3. (noun) The act of remembering something, or the ability to remember.
4. (noun) An official order for a faulty or dangerous product to be returned.
2. (verb) To officially order a product to be returned because it is faulty or dangerous.
3. (noun) The act of remembering something, or the ability to remember.
4. (noun) An official order for a faulty or dangerous product to be returned.
Context Alive
You're at a family dinner and your dad starts telling a story from your childhood. He says you once tried to wash the cat in the dishwasher. Everyone laughs, but you can't recall it at all. Your mum confirms it happened — you were about four years old. You sit there trying to remember but nothing comes back. Your sister shows you an old photo and suddenly a tiny piece of the memory clicks into place.
Meanings
4 meanings 1 To Remember Something (Verb) Very Common ▼
This meaning is about bringing a memory back into your mind — remembering something that happened in the past, especially details or specific events. Imagine a police officer asking a witness what the suspect looked like — the witness tries to recall every detail: height, hair colour, clothing. This is describing the mental effort of pulling a memory out of storage and bringing it to the surface. You might say "I can't recall her name" when you've met someone before but the name won't come to you, or someone could say "if I recall correctly, the meeting was on a Thursday" when they're not completely sure. Or think about an old couple sitting on a bench, recalling the day they first met fifty years ago — every detail still fresh in their minds. The word suggests a more deliberate or careful act of remembering than simply "remembering."
✏️ Recall is slightly more formal than "remember" and often implies effort — you're actively trying to bring something back. "I remember" sounds natural and easy, but "I recall" sounds like you're searching through your memory more carefully. In legal, medical, and professional contexts, recall is the standard choice.
2 To Officially Order a Product Returned (Verb) Common ▼
This meaning is about a company or manufacturer officially requesting that customers return a product because it has a fault or safety issue. Imagine reading in the news that a car company is recalling 500,000 vehicles because of a problem with the brakes — every owner needs to take their car back to the dealer for a free fix. This is describing an organised, large-scale return of products that could be dangerous. You might hear that "a toy company recalled a batch of dolls after children reported skin irritation", or someone could say "my laptop was recalled because the battery could overheat". Or think about a food brand pulling thousands of jars off supermarket shelves because they contain an allergen that isn't listed on the label — they've recalled the entire product line. The word suggests the problem is serious enough that the company has to take public action.
✏️ Product recalls are a big deal in business and consumer safety. You'll see them in the news constantly — car recalls, food recalls, electronics recalls. The phrase "issue a recall" or "announce a recall" is how companies formally communicate this. If your product gets recalled, check the manufacturer's website for instructions.
3 The Ability or Act of Remembering (Noun) Common ▼
This meaning is about the power or process of remembering things — how well your memory works or the act of bringing something back to mind. Imagine a quiz show contestant who can name every capital city in the world without hesitation — she has incredible recall. This is describing either the ability to remember or a specific instance of remembering something. You might read that "his recall of the events was surprisingly detailed" about a witness describing something that happened years ago, or a doctor could say "total recall of the accident is unlikely" about a patient with a head injury. Or think about studying for an exam and testing your recall by closing the book and trying to write down everything you just read. The word suggests the quality or strength of someone's memory.
✏️ Total recall means remembering absolutely everything — it's also a famous film title. In psychology, recall is a technical term for retrieving information from memory, as opposed to recognition (knowing something when you see it again). You'll also hear "beyond recall" meaning something is lost forever and can't be recovered.
4 An Official Product Return Order (Noun) Common ▼
This meaning is about an official announcement that a product must be returned because it's faulty or unsafe. Imagine checking the news and seeing a headline about a major recall of baby car seats because the buckle might not lock properly — that's a product recall. This is describing the formal process or announcement itself. You might hear "the recall affects over two million vehicles worldwide" on a news report, or someone could say "there's been a recall on that brand of peanut butter — check if yours is affected". Or think about a pharmaceutical company issuing a recall of a medication after discovering a contamination problem in their factory. The word suggests an organised, public safety action taken by a company or regulator.
✏️ As a noun, you'll often see recall with words like product recall, safety recall, voluntary recall (the company does it by choice), and mandatory recall (the government forces them). Checking for recalls is actually something smart consumers do regularly — especially for cars and children's products.
Common Patterns
Remembering
recall + noun / gerund → to remember a specific thing or event
I can vaguely recall meeting her at a party years ago.
recall + that... → to remember a fact or detail
She recalled that the shop used to be on the corner before it moved.
if I recall correctly → a polite way of saying you think you remember but aren't certain
If I recall correctly, the deadline was supposed to be next Friday.
Product Returns
recall + product / number of items → to officially order products returned for safety reasons
The company recalled 300,000 cars due to a faulty airbag.
issue / announce a recall → to formally make a product recall public
The manufacturer issued a recall after several customers reported injuries.
Memory Ability
have good / excellent / poor recall → to describe how strong someone's memory is
She has excellent recall — she remembers conversations from years ago word for word.
beyond recall → lost forever — impossible to recover or remember
The details of that night are beyond recall — it was too long ago.
Collocations
10 collocationsrecall a memory
to bring a past experience back into your mind
recall the details
to remember the specific facts of something
product recall
an official order for faulty goods to be returned
safety recall
a recall specifically triggered by a safety concern
total recall
the ability to remember everything perfectly
beyond recall
lost forever and impossible to bring back
instant recall
the ability to remember something immediately without effort
vaguely recall
to remember something only slightly or unclearly
issue a recall
to officially announce that a product must be returned
if I recall correctly
a polite phrase meaning 'if my memory is right'
Example Sentences
10 examples
1
I can't recall exactly when we first met, but it must have been around 2018.
I don't remember the exact time we first met, but I think it was sometime around 2018.
2
The car manufacturer recalled over a million vehicles due to a problem with the steering.
The car company ordered more than a million vehicles returned because of a steering fault.
3
If I recall correctly, you said you'd have the report ready by Monday.
If my memory is right, you promised the report would be finished by Monday.
4
She has remarkable recall — she can quote entire conversations from decades ago.
Her memory is incredible — she can repeat whole conversations from many years back.
5
The supermarket pulled the product from its shelves after the company issued a recall.
The supermarket removed the product after the manufacturer officially ordered it returned.
6
He recalled that his grandmother always kept sweets in her coat pocket.
He remembered that his grandmother used to carry sweets in the pocket of her coat.
7
The witness was unable to recall the colour of the car involved in the accident.
The witness couldn't remember what colour the car was in the crash.
8
Several batches of the medication were recalled after traces of contamination were found.
Multiple batches of the drug were ordered returned after contamination was discovered.
9
His recall of the events was so detailed that the police used his statement as the main evidence.
He remembered the events so clearly that the police relied on his account as the key evidence.
10
Those days are now beyond recall — too much time has passed to remember clearly.
Those days are lost to memory — far too many years have gone by to remember them properly.
Synonyms & Antonyms
6 items
Synonymsremember
the most common everyday alternative — less formal and requires less effort
recollect
very close in meaning — slightly more formal and literary
withdraw
for the product meaning — used when items are pulled from shelves rather than returned by customers
Antonymsforget
the most direct opposite — to lose a memory or fail to remember
release
for the product meaning — to put a product on the market rather than pulling it back
overlook
to miss or fail to notice something — the opposite of recalling a detail