recur

verb

re·​cur ri-ˈkər 

recurred; recurring

intransitive verb

1

: to have recourse : resort

2

: to go back in thought or discourse

on recurring to my letters of that date

—Thomas Jefferson

3

a

: to come up again for consideration

b

: to come again to mind

4

: to occur again after an interval : occur time after time

the cancer recurred

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

Equally important were the show’s recurring personalities: Tom Colicchio, a chef’s chef who ran some of New York City’s sharpest restaurants, was the gruff, no-nonsense industry veteran; Gail Simmons, from the magazine Food & Wine, was the polished, critically insightful diner. —Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 23 Apr. 2024

In 1993, Jennifer took her first acting roles, including a recurring role in Beverly Hills, 90210. —Julie Tremaine, Peoplemag, 21 Apr. 2024

We are thrown in the middle of what is clearly a recurring argument between the Keys stand-in, 17-year-old Ali (the sensational Maleah Joi Moon), and her mother, Jersey (Shoshana Bean, in top form). —Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Times, 21 Apr. 2024

While the recurring gags rarely extend beyond poop jokes, kids in the audience will probably get a kick out of the whole affair. —Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 19 Apr. 2024

In 2009, Esposito starred in the recurring role of drug lord Gus Fring on Breaking Bad, and later reprised Fring in the prequel series Better Call Saul, earning three Emmy nominations between the two shows for the same character. —Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 19 Apr. 2024

Wojcicki, who controls 49.99% of voting power, has struggled to find recurring revenue sources as demand drops for 23andMe tests. —Emma Hinchliffe, Fortune, 18 Apr. 2024

Taking flight is a recurring theme in the artist’s work. —Christopher Parker, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Apr. 2024

In a recurring theme for this case, that wasn’t all police found in Pike’s cellphone. —Nate Gartrell, The Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2024

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 1

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