recurrent
adjective
Did you know?
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
Examples of recurrent in a Sentence
Andrew Unterberger, Billboard, 9 Apr. 2024
Even Nancy’s recurrent chats with astrologer Joan (Regina Aquino) ultimately feel baggy, despite Hawley’s marvelous comic timing and Aquino’s zesty New Age flouncing, respectively.
—Celia Wren, Washington Post, 9 Apr. 2024
As with many of the team’s liquid creations, the bar itself is a recurrent source of inspiration.
—Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 8 Apr. 2024
The mind can become preoccupied with recurrent thoughts of often bad things, worries, circular concerns that keep coming back again.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024
Periodontitis is associated with a slew of systemic ills: heart attacks, strokes, heart failure, diabetes, endocarditis, chronic kidney disease, recurrent pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, gastritis, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer and cognitive impairment.
—Lola Butcher, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Mar. 2024
Far better, then, to look for businesses that can provide steady income through recurrent revenue streams.
—Adam Coffey, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
At the beginning of the twenty-first century, one of the recurrent visual symbols of the city, the Twin Towers, fell.
—Nicholas D. Lowry, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2024
So, even after they were released, if new information did enter the system, there would be a recurrent vetting process.
—CBS News, 24 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'recurrent.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near recurrent
Cite this Entry
“Recurrent.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recurrent. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
recurrent
adjective
Medical Definition
recurrent
adjective
Share