recur

verb

re·​cur ri-ˈkər 

recurred; recurring

intransitive verb

1

: to occur or appear again

the cancer recurred

a problem that keeps recurring

2

: to come again to mind

One of the staffer's comments, however, keeps recurring to me.

—Kevin R. Kosar

3

: to have recourse : resort

… are no longer willing to recur to Congress to repeal unconstitutional laws …

—Joe Wolverton

4

: to go back in thought or discourse

… on recurring to my letters of that date …

—Thomas Jefferson

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

The opening scene in the annex — when Hamnet first notices that his twin has taken ill — recurs about halfway through the play, an instance of déjà vu. —Rhoda Feng, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2026

The company doesn’t even accept recurring automatic payments, since that would require storing user payment data. —Justyn Newman, PC Magazine, 22 Mar. 2026

Created by Douglas Tuber and Tim Maile, Phil of the Future also starred Aly Michalka, with Brenda Song, Evan Peters and Kay Panabaker in recurring roles. —Glenn Garner, Deadline, 22 Mar. 2026

Climate change has made the West’s recurring droughts and heat waves far more likely, a process that will only intensify without efforts to keep the planet from heating more. —Mark Gongloff, Mercury News, 21 Mar. 2026

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 3

Rhymes for recur

• chauffeur
• cockspur
• concur
• confer
• defer
• demur
• deter
• hotspur
• incur
• infer
• inter
• jagir

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