return to an original state
"the recovery of the forest after the fire was surprisingly rapid"
gradual healing (through rest) after sickness or injury
"After weeks of bed rest, his recovery from the broken leg was finally complete enough to walk without a limp."
The act or process of regaining or repossession of something lost.
"After months of searching for his misplaced passport, he finally found it in the bottom drawer during a routine cleaning session."
In plain English: Recovery is the process of getting better again after being sick, hurt, or going through a difficult time.
"The doctor said his full recovery from the surgery would take several weeks."
Usage: Use recovery to describe the successful return of an item, such as recovering stolen documents from police custody. It is often confused with recuperation when referring to health, but strictly means getting possession back rather than healing.
The word recovery entered English from the Old French term recovrée, which itself came from the verb meaning "to recover." It was first used in Middle English as recoveree.