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

However, both experts noted there is some evidence to show the strain has potential benefits in bacterial vaginosis, helping reduce the risk of recurrence when used alongside conventional antibiotic treatment. —Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025

If you have been diagnosed with early breast cancer in the past, there is a pervasive fear of recurrence that causes many extreme anxiety. —Marnie Goodfriend, Flow Space, 27 Oct. 2025

Whatever the trigger was, to prevent recurrence of the calamity, degassing facilities were installed at Lakes Monoun and Nyos to remove the continual buildup of carbon dioxide gas. —Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025

Patients who had mammograms had a 55% lower risk of cancer recurrence and a 74% lower risk of death, even after adjusting for age, tumor type, and surgery. —Fran Kritz, Verywell Health, 16 Oct. 2025

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