Recitation is the act of speaking something aloud from memory, usually in front of an audience. When you memorize a poem and speak it to your class, you're giving a recitation. When an actor performs a monologue they've learned by heart, that's also a recitation.

The word is used in situations where speaking from memory matters: students reciting historical speeches, performers reciting Shakespeare, or religious scholars reciting sacred texts. A good recitation means delivering the words with understanding and feeling, so listeners can appreciate what makes them worth remembering.

In some schools, recitation also refers to a class session where students answer questions aloud about material they've studied, demonstrating what they know through spoken responses rather than written tests.

The key difference between recitation and just reading aloud is memory. When you recite something, you've internalized it deeply enough to deliver it without looking at the page.