recurrence

noun

re·​cur·​rence ri-ˈkər-ən(t)s 

-ˈkə-rən(t)s

plural recurrences

: a new occurrence of something that happened or appeared before : a repeated occurrence

Scientists are working to lower the disease's rate of recurrence.

Long-term drug therapy is associated with frequent recurrences and adverse effects, however.

—Melvin M. Scheinman

The hypoallergenic diet is restored until the itching and scratching again disappear, following which potential allergens from the original diet are restored sequentially, one by one, into the dog's meals and the owner looks for indications of the allergy's recurrence.

—Tom Ewing

As a familiar shape its exact meaning may have been lost to some of the craftsmen who used it; however, its recurrence on a whole group of gravestones in Davidson County, North Carolina, suggests an association there with hope, rebirth, and the cycle of life and death.

—Jessie Poesch

The shortage is a result of a decline in Treasury issuance as well as banks' strengthening their balance sheets in preparation for rules designed to prevent a recurrence of the 2008 financial crisis.

—Peter Coy and Liz Capo McCormick

Examples of recurrence in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Key Takeaways New observational study linked coffee with lower risk of colorectal cancer recurrence. —Stephanie Brown, Verywell Health, 8 Apr. 2024

Doctors prescribe this additional, or adjuvant, treatment depending on the patient’s risk of recurrence. —Alexander Olawaiye, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2024

But if there’s a risk that some cells may remain, chemotherapy is a way to kill them off, thus reducing the risk of a recurrence. —Karen Kaplan, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2024

Even if cancer is resected for curative intent, there may be a high risk of recurrence, so chemotherapy may be used. —Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 22 Mar. 2024

Researchers don’t fully understand why cancers recur, but there are certain red flags that indicate the potential for recurrence. —Alexander Olawaiye, The Conversation, 27 Mar. 2024

But Lux could be losing his grip on the job because of an apparent recurrence of the throwing issues that derailed his first big-league spring training with the Dodgers as a 21-year-old in 2019. —Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024

But erratic behavior is very visible in the transit system, and the death of Michelle Go, who was pushed off a platform into the path of an oncoming train at Times Square two years ago, changed the mind-set of many commuters, igniting a terror of recurrences. —Ginia Bellafante, New York Times, 14 Mar. 2024

As a result of the complaint, the director was kept under preventative house arrest from June 19 to July 4, a decision later revoked by Preliminary Investigation Judge Vilma Gilli once it was determined that there was no risk of recurrence. —Valeria Verbaro, The Hollywood Reporter, 6 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1626, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

recurrence

noun

re·​cur·​rence ri-ˈkər-ən(t)s, -ˈkə-rən(t)s 

1

: return of symptoms of a disease after a remission

2

: reappearance of a tumor after previous removal