recur

verb

re·​cur ri-ˈkər 

recurred; recurring

intransitive verb

1

: to have recourse : resort

2

: to go back in thought or discourse

on recurring to my letters of that date

—Thomas Jefferson

3

a

: to come up again for consideration

b

: to come again to mind

4

: to occur again after an interval : occur time after time

the cancer recurred

Examples of recur in a Sentence

There is only a slight chance that the disease will recur.

The same problem keeps recurring.

Recent Examples on the Web

Beyond voicing pop culture icons like Gigi Hadid and Paris Hilton, Makinson also portrays recurring characters like Strong Woman, Henrietta Biggle, and more. —Sezin Keohler, EW.com, 24 Jan. 2025

Still, a recurring arc, at least, kept the dialogue going. —Jennifer Vineyard, Flow Space, 24 Jan. 2025

How is this for meta casting — Bradley Whitford has been tapped for a recurring role opposite his former The West Wing co-star Allison Janney on the Netflix political thriller drama series The Diplomat, Deadline has learned. —Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 24 Jan. 2025

Despite recurring concerns about the challenges liberal arts graduates face on the job market, many students still dream of studying the humanities at an Ivy League institution, where renowned faculty members and innovative curricula attract top students. —Christopher Rim, Forbes, 23 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin recurrere "to run back, return, have recourse (to)," from re- re- + currere "to run" — more at current entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1512, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

recur

verb

re·​cur ri-ˈkər 

recurred; recurring

1

: to go or come back in thought or discussion

2

: to come again into the mind

3

: to occur or appear again

recurrence

-ˈkər-ən(t)s 

-ˈkə-rən(t)s

noun

Medical Definition

recur

intransitive verb

re·​cur ri-ˈkər 

recurred; recurring

: to occur again after an interval

a disease likely to recur