recidivism
noun
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The re- in recidivism is the same re- in relapse and return, and like those words recidivism is about going back: it’s a tendency to relapse, especially into criminal behavior. Recidivism is a 19th century French borrowing that’s ultimately from a Latin word meaning “to relapse into sin or crime.” In borrowing recidivism, English was itself engaging in a kind of recidivism: the same Latin source of recidivism had been nabbed in the 16th century to form the much less common recidivate, meaning “to fall into or exhibit recidivism.”
Examples of recidivism in a Sentence
Jasmine Hilton, Washington Post, 13 Apr. 2024
Her family said a lax approach to law and order, coupled with a high recidivism rate, continues to put unsuspecting victims in harm's way.
—Chris Eberhart, Fox News, 12 Apr. 2024
The center also offers ongoing support as people leave jail in an effort to continue treatment and decrease recidivism.
—Sarah Ritter, Kansas City Star, 22 Mar. 2024
This involves reducing overcrowding, ensuring humane treatment, and focusing on rehabilitation to decrease recidivism.
—Noah Alcala Bach, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 15 Feb. 2024
The study found that overall, the use of the CARES Act to send individuals to home confinement sooner and for longer periods did not have an apparent negative impact on their recidivism rates compared to others in home confinement.
—Walter Pavlo, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
Counterfeiters have a higher recidivism rate than heroin addicts, and in 2006 he was arrested after getting into an argument with his son, Art Williams III, who had also begun counterfeiting.
—Jason Kersten, Rolling Stone, 23 Mar. 2024
Time and again, studies prove that criminal records contribute to higher rates of recidivism, increasing the burden on the criminal justice system and jeopardizing community safety.
—The Sorenson Impact Institute, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2023
Before Norway embraced this new model of incarceration in the 1990s, its prisons looked much like ours do today and recidivism rates were stubbornly high, hovering near 70% for some crimes.
—Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 9 Nov. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'recidivism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
borrowed from French récidivisme, from récidiver "to reappear (of a disease, tumor, etc.), do over, commit a second criminal offense" (going back to Middle French, borrowed from Medieval Latin recidīvāre "to relapse into sin or crime") + -isme -ism — more at recidivate
1884, in the meaning defined above
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Dictionary Entries Near recidivism
Cite this Entry
“Recidivism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recidivism. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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Medical Definition
recidivism
noun
A. E. Kazdin et al.
Legal Definition
recidivism
noun
More from Merriam-Webster on recidivism
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about recidivism
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