recur

verb

re·​cur ri-ˈkər How to pronounce recur (audio)
recurred; recurring

intransitive verb

1
: to have recourse : resort
2
: to go back in thought or discourse
on recurring to my letters of that dateThomas Jefferson
3
a
: to come up again for consideration
b
: to come again to mind
4
: to occur again after an interval : occur time after time
the cancer recurred

Examples of recur in a Sentence

There is only a slight chance that the disease will recur. The same problem keeps recurring.
Recent Examples on the Web Members get speedier shipping and a $120 credit for recurring deliveries. Anne D'innocenzio, Fortune, 18 Mar. 2024 At Kern County’s Pine Mountain Club, where annual black bear invasions began in earnest about a decade ago, home and vehicle break-ins are a recurring source of stress, as well as community division. Louis Sahagún, Los Angeles Times, 18 Mar. 2024 Aura is a condition in which recurring headaches occur along with other sensory disturbances, such as flashes of light or blind spots. Carey Rossi, Health, 17 Mar. 2024 The mother-daughter duo has also worked together on-screen in 18 episodes of Grey's Anatomy in which Vivian played Dr. Hannah Brody and Allen acted in her recurring role of Dr. Catherine Fox. Katie Mannion, Peoplemag, 16 Mar. 2024 Her performance, and the resulting image — which has come to serve as a symbol for the historic day — was born from a recurring dream that haunted her around the time the protest movement began. Rosa Rahimi, CNN, 15 Mar. 2024 Oliver Platt, Molly Gordon and Edwin Lee Gibson are additional recurring cast members. Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 14 Mar. 2024 In 1984, Bernard landed the recurring role of Terry Brock on General Hospital, and would appear in 145 episodes from '84 to 1990. Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 13 Mar. 2024 The process also included the removal of the piece’s three-inch thick render, which displays three large Apache attack helicopters (a recurring motif in Banksy’s creations). Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 6 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'recur.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin recurrere "to run back, return, have recourse (to)," from re- re- + currere "to run" — more at current entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1512, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of recur was circa 1512

Dictionary Entries Near recur

Cite this Entry

“Recur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recur. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

recur

verb
re·​cur ri-ˈkər How to pronounce recur (audio)
recurred; recurring
1
: to go or come back in thought or discussion
2
: to come again into the mind
3
: to occur or appear again
recurrence
-ˈkər-ən(t)s How to pronounce recur (audio)
-ˈkə-rən(t)s
noun

Medical Definition

recur

intransitive verb
re·​cur ri-ˈkər How to pronounce recur (audio)
recurred; recurring
: to occur again after an interval
a disease likely to recur

More from Merriam-Webster on recur

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