as in offenders
formal
a person who continues to commit crimes even after being caught and punished
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Recent Examples of recidivists
Gerald Ford, who was President during the peak of the arson wave, publicly mentioned the Bronx just once, to go by the American Presidency Project, and that was to commend Merola’s office for locking up recidivists.
—
Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recidivists
Noun
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Biden’s autopen signature was used to issue major clemency orders in the final two months of his term that affected more than 4,000 individuals, including drug offenders and those placed on home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic.—
Lauren Green,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Sep. 2025
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Produced by Universal Television, a division of Universal Studio Group, in association with Wolf Entertainment, Law & Order examines the criminal justice system and tells the stories of the police who investigate crime and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
9 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Our research suggests that the vast majority of Republican voters want to close loopholes that allow criminals and dangerous people to get their hands on guns.—
Gabby Giffords,
Time,
11 Sep. 2025
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The days of letting dangerous criminals terrorize American citizens are over.—
Dan Gooding,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Recidivists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recidivists. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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