The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Recitative \Rec`i*ta*tive"\, a.
   Of or pertaining to recitation; intended for musical
   recitation or declamation; in the style or manner of
   recitative. -- Rec`i*ta*tive"ly, adv.
   [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Recitative \Rec`i*ta*tive"\ (r[e^]s`[i^]*t[.a]*t[=e]v"), n. [It.
   recitativo, or F. r['e]citatif. See Recite.] (Mus.)
   A species of musical recitation in which the words are
   delivered in a manner resembling that of ordinary
   declamation; also, a piece of music intended for such
   recitation; -- opposed to melisma.
   [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

recitative
    n 1: a vocal passage of narrative text that a singer delivers
         with natural rhythms of speech