récapitule

Récapitule is a conjugated form of the French verb récapituler, meaning to summarize or recapitulate. It appears as the present indicative third-person singular il récapitule and as the imperative Récapitule! (tu). The form is used to indicate a concise restatement of previous points, arguments, or events, for example in a report or a lecture: Il récapitule les conclusions du document.

Etymology and related forms: The verb récapituler derives from Latin recapitular e, formed with the prefix re- and capitulum (literally “little head” or “chapter”). The sense evolved toward “to sum up again.” The related noun is récapitulation; the adjective forms récapitulatif or récapitulatif/ récapitulative describe a summary or synopsis.

Usage and nuance: Récapituler is a transitive verb and takes a direct object (the material being summarized). It is more common in formal or written French than in casual speech. Common synonyms include résumer and faire le récapitulatif; the term récapitulation is used in more technical or academic contexts to denote a structured summary.

See also: récapitulation, récapitulatif.