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

Close, chaotic, and contested elections have long been a recurring part of American politics. —Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 5 Nov. 2024

Set a recurring task each year to remind you to identify all vendors, assess their risk to your business and review their contracts. —Paul Blough, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024

Trump’s strength with young male voters has been a recurring narrative in the campaign’s final months, though pollsters caution that some of these supporters might not turn out for the former president. —Yash Roy, The Hill, 4 Nov. 2024

Topher Grace is among those recurring on the series. —Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 4 Nov. 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