recurrence

noun

re·​cur·​rence ri-ˈkər-ən(t)s 

-ˈkə-rən(t)s

plural recurrences

: a new occurrence of something that happened or appeared before : a repeated occurrence

Scientists are working to lower the disease's rate of recurrence.

Long-term drug therapy is associated with frequent recurrences and adverse effects, however.

—Melvin M. Scheinman

The hypoallergenic diet is restored until the itching and scratching again disappear, following which potential allergens from the original diet are restored sequentially, one by one, into the dog's meals and the owner looks for indications of the allergy's recurrence.

—Tom Ewing

As a familiar shape its exact meaning may have been lost to some of the craftsmen who used it; however, its recurrence on a whole group of gravestones in Davidson County, North Carolina, suggests an association there with hope, rebirth, and the cycle of life and death.

—Jessie Poesch

The shortage is a result of a decline in Treasury issuance as well as banks' strengthening their balance sheets in preparation for rules designed to prevent a recurrence of the 2008 financial crisis.

—Peter Coy and Liz Capo McCormick

Examples of recurrence in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This recurrence of atrocity is made inevitable, the novel shows, by the laws and restrictions created by those who had committed the crime in the first place. —Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2025

Per previous reporting attributed to her son Dirk Smillie, the cause of death was a recurrence of cancer. —Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 5 Jan. 2025

Hartman had gone 50 shots between goals, but his game has been coming around of late with plenty of chances and a recurrence of his hard-nosed style. —Michael Russo, The Athletic, 2 Jan. 2025

The nerve may grow back, leading to a recurrence of pain. —Suchandrima Bhowmik, Health, 29 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1626, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

recurrence

noun

re·​cur·​rence ri-ˈkər-ən(t)s, -ˈkə-rən(t)s 

1

: return of symptoms of a disease after a remission

2

: reappearance of a tumor after previous removal