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

Because lobular tumors are usually hormone receptor-positive, endocrine therapy like tamoxifen is central to lowering recurrence risk, and lobular carcinoma can recur at distant sites many years after initial treatment. — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026

For some patients with Stage 1 cancer that has not spread to the lymph nodes, surgery and monitoring for recurrence may be sufficient, says Jones. — Alice Park, Time, 14 Oct. 2026

Rates actually continued to increase after the Society of Surgical Oncology adopted the guidelines in 2016, even though patients who received the biopsy were not more likely to survive or avoid recurrence. — Allessandra Dicorato, STAT, 8 Oct. 2026

Literature states that the recurrence rate after one pregnancy is affected by anencephaly jumps dramatically to between 2%-5%. — Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 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