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

Players as big as the 6-5, 315-pound Thomas are typically advised to show some extra patience with foot injuries to fully heal them and minimize the possibility of the injury recurring. —Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 17 June 2025

This season, felines are a recurring motif, with cats appliquéd on shirts or embroidered on tapestry jackets. —Gemma A. Williams, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025

The labor market has been resilient, but there's also been clear signs of softening, with recurring jobless claims being at their highest levels since November 2021. —Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 15 June 2025

Ashley’s work zeroes in on relationship dynamics that quietly erode self-worth—those unconscious triggers and recurring interactions that leave you questioning your value. —Jason Phillips, USA Today, 15 June 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

Rhymes for recur

• chauffeur
• cockspur
• concur
• confer
• defer
• demur
• deter
• hotspur
• incur
• infer
• inter
• jagir

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