recidivism
noun
Did you know?
The re- in recidivism is the same re- in relapse and return, and like those words recidivism is about going back: it’s a tendency to relapse, especially into criminal behavior. Recidivism is a 19th century French borrowing that’s ultimately from a Latin word meaning “to relapse into sin or crime.” In borrowing recidivism, English was itself engaging in a kind of recidivism: the same Latin source of recidivism had been nabbed in the 16th century to form the much less common recidivate, meaning “to fall into or exhibit recidivism.”
Examples of recidivism in a Sentence
Taylor Millard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 Mar. 2025
The results showed that the recidivism rate for people who had gone to prison was 75-77%, with most people ending up back in the prison system within 2 to 3 years.
—Vitas Carosella, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2025
Research shows that in-prison rehabilitation programs – particularly those centered on education and vocational training programs and social-support services such as housing help, mental health care and job placement assistance – reduce recidivism rates.
—John Leverso, The Conversation, 26 Feb. 2025
The University of California San Francisco Magazine reported that the change dropped the country’s recidivism rate from 70% to 20%.
—Alex Brizee, Idaho Statesman, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for recidivism
Cite this Entry
“Recidivism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recidivism. Accessed 6 Apr. 2025.
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recidivism
noun
A. E. Kazdin et al.Legal Definition
recidivism
noun
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