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

The jewelry designer and mother of two had a lumpectomy, underwent radiation and took Tamoxifen to reduce her risk of recurrence. — Laura Trujillo, USA Today, 30 June 2026

Airbnb has a lot riding on preventing the recurrence of such disastrous parties. — Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026

With Emma Raducanu having withdrawn Sunday with a stress fracture to her right leg, Jack Draper followed her out of the tournament, pulling out with a recurrence of his left arm injury. — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 29 June 2026

After a moment’s thought, Greenwald told her to do the lumpectomy—and the tamoxifen, which would cut the chance of cancer recurrence in half. — Melanie Thernstrom, New Yorker, 29 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