Main Entry: ¹re·ces·sion

Pronunciation: \ri-ˈse-shən\

Function: noun

Date: circa 1652

1 : the act or action of receding : withdrawal
2 : a departing procession (as of clergy and choir at the end of a church service)
3 : a period of reduced economic activity

— re·ces·sion·ary \-shə-ˌner-ē\ adjective