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

For midlife women, those goals may include staying well enough to work, caring for children or aging parents, preserving intimacy, managing menopause symptoms, minimizing time away from home, protecting long-term health or reducing the chance of recurrence as much as possible. —Lauryn Higgins, Flow Space, 15 June 2026

Bardia’s lab has also observed associations between COVID infection and breast cancer recurrence; that research has not yet been submitted for peer review. —Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026

In a statement to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the event's producer Live Nation explained that the concert was canceled because Stewart had a recurrence of a sinus infection. —Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 14 June 2026

There are strict requirements for the procedure, including ensuring patients have a low risk of recurrence and confirming that there is no disease except for the cancer on the liver. —Kerry Breen, CBS News, 13 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1626, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for recurrence

• concurrence
• deterrence
• incurrence
• occurrence
• transference
• coinsurance
• countertransference

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