recurrent

adjective re·cur·rent \ ri-ˈkər-ənt , -ˈkə-rənt \

Updated on: 18 Apr 2018

Definition of recurrent

1 : running or turning back in a direction opposite to a former course —used of various nerves and branches of vessels in the arms and legs

2 : returning or happening time after time

recurrent complaints

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recurrently

adverb

See recurrent defined for English-language learners

See recurrent defined for kids

Examples of recurrent in a Sentence

The loss of innocence is a recurrent theme in his stories.
had recurrent problems with the computer for months and finally junked it

Recent Examples of recurrent from the Web

After years of recurrent privacy controversies and official apologies, Zuckerberg has strained in recent weeks to convince lawmakers, users and regulators that Facebook is determined to deliver meaningful change.

— the washington post, AL.com, "Mark Zuckerberg testimony: Facebook founder grilled by Congress," 10 Apr. 2018
After years of recurrent privacy controversies and official apologies, Zuckerberg has strained in recent weeks to convince lawmakers, users and regulators that Facebook is determined to deliver meaningful change.

— Anchorage Daily News, "Zuckerberg details ‘greatest regrets’ as Congress grills the Facebook CEO," 10 Apr. 2018
Messi missed Argentina's friendlies against Italy and Spain during the recent international break, having aggravated a recurrent muscular complaint while away on duty.

— SI.com, "Ernesto Valverde Tight-Lipped on Lionel Messi Fitness As Barça Hunt Down Record Unbeaten Streak," 7 Apr. 2018
The film may offer no verdict about the coach but there’s plenty of another kind of judgment here, captured vividly in the recurrent images of football violence.

— dorothy rabinowitz, WSJ, "‘Paterno’ Review: Fall of an Idol," 5 Apr. 2018
The acute complications can include bleeding, infection, and even death; potential long-term complications include complications in childbirth, recurrent urinary tract infections, scarring, hepatitis and HIV, and depression.

— katherine mckenzie, STAT, "Millions have been traumatized by female genital mutilation. The practice must end," 29 Mar. 2018
The show has few nude images but emphasizes such complicated matters as the fleeting duration of innocence, the childhood vacillation between dependence and independence, and the recurrent fears of danger that haunt parenthood.

— vicki goldberg, New York Times, "Sally Mann’s Haunted South," 29 Mar. 2018
But there are those in the Kremlin who dislike his recurrent provocations to Western public opinion.

— chicagotribune.com, "How not to pressure Putin," 29 Mar. 2018
Her ruling said recurrent flooding in the Missouri River Basin will continue under current management systems as drainage of land along the river is impeded by higher water.

— matt campbell, kansascity, "Judge says Corps of Engineers is responsible for damaging floods along Missouri River | The Kansas City Star," 14 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'recurrent.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

recurrent vs. recurring

Is there a difference between recurring and recurrent? As is so often the case with nearly identical words, the answer is "yes and no." Both words are most commonly used in the sense "happening time after time." But recurrent, the more commonly-used of the two, tends to appear more often in medical contexts, as in “recurrent fevers” or “recurrent cancer.” It also has a specialized anatomical sense, "running or turning back in a direction opposite to a former course,” as in “a recurrent artery,” that recurring does not share. There are certainly circumstances in which either recurrent or recurring could be used; pain or needs might be described as either recurrent or recurring. But even in such cases, there may be subtle differences which you may wish to pay attention to. Recurrent tends to suggest a coming back of something that has existed before, whereas recurring often implies simply a repeated occurrence.