recur

verb

re·​cur ri-ˈkər How to pronounce recur (audio)
recurred; recurring

intransitive verb

1
: to have recourse : resort
2
: to go back in thought or discourse
on recurring to my letters of that dateThomas 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Her mother is still working 12-hour days, living with a man who does not support her, and having recurring health issues. Shamira Ibrahim, Vulture, 18 Nov. 2024 The recurring dispute over how well exit polling captures Latino voters — the groups and pollsters have raised it in previous elections — has ramifications for nonprofit groups that have focused on improving Latino voter turnout. Suzanne Gamboa, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024 On China, for example, Trump displayed a recurring willingness to give ground on other issues—the crackdown in Hong Kong, the repression in Xinjiang, the arrest of a senior executive of the Chinese tech company Huawei—in return for a better bilateral trade deal. Daniel W. Drezner, Foreign Affairs, 12 Nov. 2024 For recurring meetings, admins can rename the call and use the same link every day. Jibin Joseph, PCMAG, 12 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for recur 

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of recur was circa 1512

Dictionary Entries Near recur

Cite this Entry

“Recur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recur. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

recur

verb
re·​cur ri-ˈkər How to pronounce recur (audio)
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 How to pronounce recur (audio)
-ˈkə-rən(t)s
noun

Medical Definition

recur

intransitive verb
re·​cur ri-ˈkər How to pronounce recur (audio)
recurred; recurring
: to occur again after an interval
a disease likely to recur

More from Merriam-Webster on recur

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