recurrence

recurrence — noun

1. the fact that something — especially something bad or unwanted — happens again a

1.nounB2
Definition

the fact that something — especially something bad or unwanted — happens again after it had stopped or after a period when it was not present.

Example

Stefan worried about a recurrence of the back pain that had troubled him last winter.

recurrence of + physical symptom

The doctor said careful treatment would reduce the risk of recurrence.

risk of recurrence (fixed phrase)

Common collocations
  • recurrence of symptoms
  • recurrence of violence
  • recurrence of pain
  • recurrence of a problem
  • risk of recurrence
  • prevent a recurrence
  • avoid a recurrence
  • recurrence rate
  • fear of recurrence
Synonyms
  • repetition

    neutral — describes any act of repeating, without the negative connotation of 'recurrence'

  • reappearance

    focuses on something coming back into view rather than just happening again

  • return

    broader and more common; can be positive or negative

Antonyms
  • disappearance

    the act of ceasing to exist or be visible, opposite of reappearing

  • cessation

    formal term for a complete stop, opposite of starting again

Grammar Patterns

a recurrence of + noun phrase

risk of recurrence

prevent/avoid a recurrence

Usage Note

Recurrence is most commonly used for unpleasant or unwanted events — illnesses, social problems, natural disasters, or system failures. Using it for neutral or positive repeating events (e.g. a holiday, a celebration) sounds unnatural.

Common Mistakes

The recurrence of the festival every summer delights the town.
The return of the festival every summer delights the town.
'Recurrence' is normally reserved for unwanted events; use 'return' or 'repetition' for positive events.

Word family

  • recur
    verbB2
  • recurrent
    adjectiveC1
  • recurring
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three words describe something happening more than once, but they differ in connotation and typical use. 'Recurrence' is the most specific: it strongly implies an unwanted event (illness, conflict, failure) that one hopes to avoid. 'Repetition' is neutral and focuses on the act of doing or saying something again — it can apply to a song, a phrase, or an action without any negative judgment. 'Reappearance' stresses visibility: something that was hidden or absent comes back into sight (a rash reappears; a face reappears in a crowd). 'Return' is the broadest and most common word, used for anything from a person coming home to the return of spring. For example: doctors try to prevent a recurrence of cancer (not repetition of cancer); a singer avoids repetition in her lyrics (not recurrence in her lyrics); a butterfly's reappearance signals spring (not recurrence of the butterfly).

repetition ↗reappearancereturn ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • risk of recurrence
  • recurrence rate
  • prevent a recurrence
  • fear of recurrence
  • reduce the risk of recurrence

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Comes from Latin 'recurrere' — from 're-' (meaning 'again') and 'currere' (meaning 'to run'). So a recurrence is literally something that 'runs again.' It entered English in the mid-1600s, first used in medicine and law before broadening to general use.