1. An account or description of some fact or thing (the recital of the events leading up to the accident).
2. A preliminary statement in a contract or deed explaining the reasons for entering into it or the background of the transaction, or showing the existence of particular facts (the recitals in the settlement agreement should describe the underlying dispute). • Traditionally, each recital begins with the word whereas.
— Also termed (in sense 2) whereas clause. — recite, vb.
“The parties may wish to begin the agreement with a statement of their intentions. Often they do this through recitals, which were traditionally introduced by ‘whereas,’ but can simply state the background without this formality.” Scott J. Burnham, Contract Drafting Guidebook § 8.4, at 158 (2d ed. 1992).
introductory recital. (usu. pl.) A recital explaining how and why the existing state of affairs is to be altered.
narrative recital. (usu. pl.) A recital dealing with matters such as how the buyer and the seller came together.
particular recital. A recital that states a fact definitely.
