recurrent

adjective

re·​cur·​rent ri-ˈkər-ənt 

-ˈkə-rənt

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

recurrently adverb

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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.

Synonyms

• continual
• intermittent
• on-and-off
• periodic
• periodical
• recurring

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 on the Web

Many symptoms are episodic, becoming intense in unpredictable, recurrent flares that occur in response to triggers or for seemingly no reason at all. —Anna Giorgi, Verywell Health, 15 July 2024

Features that can point to the disorder include developmental delays, speech impediments, intellectual delays, problems with movement and balance and recurrent seizures, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. —Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 8 Aug. 2024

Over roughly 80 years the cycle repeats, making this a predictably recurrent event, which is why astronomers are excited about T Cor Bor imminently blowing its top (somewhat literally). —Phil Plait, Scientific American, 2 Aug. 2024

One review found that 37.5% of people who treated their instability without surgery experienced a recurrent episode later on.8 This recurrence rate is significantly lower in people who undergo surgery for their instability (5% to 10%, depending on the procedure performed). —Tim Petrie, Dpt, Verywell Health, 28 July 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin recurrent-, recurrens, present participle of recurrere "to run back, run in the opposite direction, return" — more at recur

First Known Use

1578, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

recurrent

adjective

re·​cur·​rent ri-ˈkər-ənt 

-ˈkə-rənt

: returning from time to time

a recurrent fever

recurrently adverb

Medical Definition

recurrent

adjective

re·​cur·​rent -ˈkər-ənt, -ˈkə-rənt 

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 pain

recurrently adverb