recapitulation — English Dictionary

Noun

1. A subsequent brief recitement or enumeration of the major points in a narrative, article, or book.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Synonyms

   summary

   Examples

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   The dolorous effects of the second world war on train services, and its protracted legacies of over-age equipment and shortages of material for replacement, are too fresh in memory to require recapitulation here; […].

2. The third major section of a musical movement written in sonata form, representing thematic material that originally appeared in the exposition section.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

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   In classical music there are, as the analytical programs tell us, first subjects and second subjects, free fantasias, recapitulations, and codas; there are fugues, with counter-subjects, strettos, and pedal points; there are passacaglias on ground basses, canons ad hypodiapente, and other ingenuities, which have, after all, stood or fallen by their prettiness as much as the simplest folk-tune.

3. The reenactment of the embryonic development in evolution of the species.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

4. The symmetry provided by Christ's life to the teachings of the Old Testament; the summation of human experience in Jesus Christ.

   Usage

   • Countable
   • Uncountable

   Examples

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   one would expect God's final purpose to be expressed in his created world, since the doctrine of recapitulation showed that this is where his plans had worked out before.

Noun

1. emergence during embryonic development of various characters or structures that appeared during the evolutionary history of the strain or species

   Synonyms

   palingenesis

   Broader terms

   growthgrowingmaturationdevelopmentontogenyontogenesis

2. (music) the section of a composition or movement (especially in sonata form) in which musical themes that were introduced earlier are repeated

   Broader terms

   sectionsubdivision

3. a summary at the end that repeats the substance of a longer discussion

   Synonyms

   recapreview

   Broader terms

   capitulation

4. (music) the repetition of themes introduced earlier (especially when one is composing the final part of a movement)

   Broader terms

   composingcomposition