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

Billboard spoke to Bada$$ about his recurring mentorship, his new residency and creating a safe space for men of color. —Mackenzie Cummings-Grady, Billboard, 13 Dec. 2024

Since departing the show, Gubler has starred in Jeff Baena's Horse Girl as well as appeared in a recurring role on two seasons of the Hulu comedy series Dollface, starring Kat Dennings and Brenda Song. —Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 13 Dec. 2024

Some may read these as a mere coincidence, but for others, the recurring numerals are no accident. —Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024

Jenna Elfman, best known for her starring role in the 1997 ABC sitcom Dharma & Greg, is returning to the network with a recurring role on another multi-camera comedy series, the upcoming Shifting Gears, headlined by fellow ABC sitcom star Tim Allen. —Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 12 Dec. 2024

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