recurrent

recurrent — adjective

1. describes something that happens repeatedly over time, often returning after bre

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

describes something that happens repeatedly over time, often returning after breaks or pauses so that it appears more than once, such as a problem that keeps coming back or an event that occurs regularly.

Example

João has been suffering from recurrent headaches since his car accident last winter.

collocation: recurrent + headache / pain / infection

The northern region faced recurrent droughts that destroyed crops and forced families to move.

collocation: recurrent + drought / problem / issue

Common collocations
  • recurrent headache
  • recurrent infection
  • recurrent problem
  • recurrent theme
  • recurrent pattern
  • recurrent nightmare
  • recurrent drought
  • recurrent episode
Synonyms
  • recurring

    very similar in meaning; 'recurring' is slightly more neutral while 'recurrent' often has a clinical or formal tone

  • repeated

    broader — describes anything happening more than once, without the implication that it goes away and comes back

  • periodic

    implies regularity or fixed intervals, whereas 'recurrent' may be irregular

  • persistent

    focuses on continuity rather than return; something persistent does not fully stop

Antonyms
  • isolated

    happening only once, without repetition

  • one-off

    informal term for a single occurrence that does not repeat

Grammar Patterns

recurrent + noun (recurrent headache, recurrent problem)

be + recurrent (The pattern is recurrent.)

Usage Note

Most frequent with medical conditions (pain, infection, symptoms) and abstract nouns (theme, pattern, problem, issue). Unlike 'repeated', recurrent implies that something goes away and comes back, not just that it happens more than once.

Common Mistakes

The rain was recurrent throughout the afternoon.
The rain returned several times throughout the afternoon.
'recurrent' describes patterns over months or years, not events within a single day.
She made recurrent mistakes on the same page.
She made repeated mistakes on the same page.
'repeated' is better for actions that happen several times in quick succession without disappearing in between.

2. describes a vein, artery, or nerve that turns around and heads back toward its s

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

describes a vein, artery, or nerve that turns around and heads back toward its starting point, following a reversed course from its original direction — a term used mainly in medical and anatomical descriptions.

Example

The left recurrent laryngeal nerve loops under the aorta then returns upward to the voice box.

anatomical path: loops down then returns upward

A small radial recurrent artery branches from the main artery and curves back toward the elbow.

directional reversal: branches off then curves back up

Common collocations
  • recurrent laryngeal nerve
  • recurrent artery
  • recurrent vein
  • recurrent branch
  • recurrent nerve
Synonyms
  • returning

    general term; not specific to anatomy but captures the idea of turning back

  • reversing

    stronger directional change, not typically used in anatomical descriptions

Grammar Patterns

recurrent + anatomical noun (recurrent nerve, recurrent artery)

recurrent + branch / laryngeal / nerve / vein / artery

Usage Note

Almost exclusively found in medical and anatomical writing. The most common term is 'recurrent laryngeal nerve', which controls the voice box. Non-specialist learners are unlikely to encounter this sense outside of biology or medical contexts.

Common Mistakes

The recurrent path of the river looks like a loop.
The river loops back on itself.
Do not use 'recurrent' for geographical features; it is reserved for specific anatomical structures.

Word family

  • recur
    verbB2
  • recurrence
    nounB2
  • recurrently
    adverbC1
  • nonrecurrent
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

'Recurrent' and 'recurring' are the closest in meaning — both describe something that returns after disappearing. 'Recurring' is more common in everyday speech ('a recurring dream'), while 'recurrent' has a slightly more formal or clinical feel ('recurrent infections'). 'Repeated' is broader and simply means 'done more than once', without implying that the thing stops between occurrences — so you can say 'repeated attempts' but not 'recurrent attempts' if they happen back-to-back. 'Periodic' adds the idea of a fixed, predictable interval ('a periodic check-up every six months'), whereas 'recurrent' may be irregular. 'Intermittent' means stopping and starting unpredictably ('intermittent rain'), focusing on the gaps rather than the return. For example, 'recurrent headaches' suggests they come and go over weeks, while 'intermittent headaches' emphasises that they keep stopping and starting.

recurringrepeated ↗periodic ↗intermittent ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • recurrent episode
  • recurrent theme
  • recurrent issue
  • recurrent cost
  • recurrent expenditure

Adverbs

  • frequently recurrent
  • persistently recurrent
  • chronically recurrent

Phrases

  • recurrent bouts of
  • recurrent episodes of
  • suffering from recurrent

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Comes from Latin 'recurrēns', the present participle of 'recurrere' meaning 'to run back' — from 're-' (again, back) + 'currere' (to run). The word entered English in the early 1600s. The anatomical sense (a nerve or vessel that turns back) preserves the original 'run back' meaning, while the more common modern sense ('happening again') developed from the idea of events 'running back' into one's experience.