To recollect means to remember something, especially when you have to make an effort to bring it back to mind. When you recollect a memory, you're pulling it up from wherever your brain stores old information, like searching through a cluttered drawer for something you put away months ago.

The word suggests more active work than simply remembering. You might instantly remember your best friend's name, but you have to recollect what you ate for lunch last Tuesday. A witness in court might struggle to recollect exactly what they saw during an incident. Your grandmother might close her eyes and recollect stories from her childhood, gathering details that have faded with time.

When you recollect something, you're gathering up scattered memories and bringing them together into a clear picture. If your teacher asks what you learned last month, you might pause and recollect the main points of that unit, searching your memory until the details come back into focus.

The noun form is recollection. For example: “I have no recollection of saying that” means “I don't remember saying it at all.”