recidivist

noun

re·​cid·​i·​vist ri-ˈsi-də-vist How to pronounce recidivist (audio)
: one who relapses
specifically : a habitual criminal
recidivist adjective
recidivistic adjective

Examples of recidivist in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Listen to this article A recidivist New York City thief with more than 100 arrests on his rap sheet, who was involved in nine shoplifting cases from February through April, according to cops, was cuffed again Thursday at a Greenwich Village subway station, the Daily News has learned. Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 6 Apr. 2025 Three recidivist restaurants, rodents and the usual abundance of roaches highlight the return of the Sick and Shut Down List, the Miami metropolitan area restaurants that inspectors closed. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2025 It’s also got to help that Tisch has gotten hundreds of officers out of desk jobs and into the streets, and most of all is focusing police on the recidivists who commit the lion’s share of violent crime using every tool the department’s got. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2025 Monday, Tisch said the city has a stubborn problem with recidivists. New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 9 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for recidivist

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from French récidiviste, from récidiver "to reappear (of a disease, tumor, etc.), do over, commit a second criminal offense" (going back to Middle French, borrowed from Medieval Latin recidīvāre "to relapse into sin or crime") + -iste -ist entry 1 — more at recidivate

First Known Use

1867, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of recidivist was in 1867

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Recidivist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recidivist. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.

Medical Definition

recidivist

noun
re·​cid·​i·​vist -vəst How to pronounce recidivist (audio)
: one who relapses into a previous behavior or condition
especially : a habitual criminal
recidivist adjective
recidivistic adjective

Legal Definition

recidivist

noun
re·​cid·​i·​vist ri-ˈsi-də-vist How to pronounce recidivist (audio)
: an habitual criminal
recidivist adjective
recidivistic adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on recidivist

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