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

Observe where recurring misunderstandings or bottlenecks happen in your team’s work. —Sho Dewan, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026

The Warriors were playing without starters Stephen Curry (knee) and Draymond Green (back), while Minnesota's Anthony Edwards was a late scratch to rest a recurring right foot injury. —CBS News, 27 Jan. 2026

Williams knows how to humanize this bare-bones vocabulary, minutely adjusting the voicing of a chord or caressing the last of a set of recurring motifs with a regretful ritardando. —Alex Ross, New Yorker, 26 Jan. 2026

Remember, this payment math does not include other recurring ownership costs, such as property taxes, insurance or maintaining one’s home. —Jonathan Lansner, Oc Register, 26 Jan. 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