WordGarden.iorecovery
B1Pronunciation
UK
- /rɪkˈʌvəri/
US
- /rɪˈkəvəri/
Meanings
Noun
the process of getting well after illness, injury, or medical treatment
a return to a normal or better state after a setback
the process of overcoming addiction or maintaining sobriety
More meaningsFewer meanings
an economic or financial improvement after decline
the restoration of lost data, files, or computer system function
the legal obtaining of damages, property, or a right through a claim or judgment
Beyond the definition
Recovery is not just about getting better after an illness, though that is a common use. It is the process of getting something back, whether that is your health, a lost item, or a sense of stability after a hard time. Think of a detective trying to recover stolen jewels, or an athlete recovering from an injury. In both cases, something lost or damaged is being regained. You can also talk about economic recovery after a downturn, meaning things are improving financially. The word often suggests a return to an earlier, healthier, or more stable state, though sometimes it simply means clear improvement rather than a full return.
Recovery refers to the process of returning to a normal state after a period of difficulty, loss, or damage. It's a broad term with applications in many different contexts, but at its heart, it always involves regaining something that was lost or impaired.
Perhaps most commonly, we talk about physical recovery, which means getting better after an illness or injury. "She is recovering well from surgery" means her health is improving. But recovery extends far beyond the physical realm. You can experience emotional recovery after heartbreak, financial recovery after job loss, or even ecological recovery after environmental damage.
The word also has specific meanings in certain fields. In data management, "data recovery" refers to restoring lost files. In addiction treatment, "recovery" is the ongoing process of maintaining sobriety and building a healthy life. And in legal contexts, you might talk about recovering damages—receiving compensation for losses suffered due to someone else's actions.
The key element of recovery is restoration. It's not just about stopping something bad from happening; it's about actively working towards rebuilding, healing, and returning to a state of well-being or functionality. Sometimes full restoration isn't possible, but even partial recovery represents progress and resilience.
So whether you're talking about mending a broken bone, rebuilding a community, or reclaiming lost data, recovery is the journey back toward wholeness and strength.
Examples
- 1
Health improvement
After a few weeks at home, she made a full recovery.
- 2
Surgery
Recovery from knee surgery can take several months.
- Patternrecovery from + illness/injury/treatment
getting better after it
- 3
Health progress
The doctor said he was on the road to recovery.
- Phraseon the road to recovery
starting to get better
- 4
Athletic training
Sleep is an important part of recovery after hard training.
More examplesFewer examples
- 5
Economy
The country is still waiting for an economic recovery after the crisis.
- 6
Computer files
We had to call a specialist for data recovery after the laptop crashed.
- Domainin computing, data recovery
getting lost computer files back
- 7
Addiction treatment
She has been in recovery for three years now.
- Phrasein recovery
getting ongoing help to stop an addiction
See also
Similar
- healing
- recuperation
- convalescence
Shades of meaning
Contrast
Used with (collocations)
- full recovery
- make a recovery
- recovery from surgery
- in recovery
Word family
Explore
- treatment
- support group
Forms and spellings
2 forms open this card.
Main spelling
- recoverynoun
Forms
- recoveriespluralnoun