retrieval

noun

1. the act of retrieving.
2. the chance of recovery or restoration: lost beyond retrieval.

noun

1. the act or process of retrieving
2. the possibility of recovery, restoration, or rectification (esp in the phrase beyond retrieval)
3. a computer filing operation that recalls records or other data from a file

n.

1640s, from retrieve + -al (2).

n.

1. The third stage in the memory process, after encoding and storage, involving mental processes associated with bringing stored information back into consciousness.