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
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.
Fitzgerald’s career then shifted to mostly television series, including a recurring role as Emma Miller in the medical drama Royal Pains and a supporting role as Lola Laffer in the political comedy-drama Alpha House. Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 5 Apr. 2025 The company, founded in 2020, reported $15 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) in 2024, doubling its revenue from the previous year. Chris Gallagher, USA Today, 4 Apr. 2025 From her time working with Meagan Good and Debbi Morgan in Divorce in the Black—a summer hit that spent weeks at the top of Amazon’s charts—to her pivotal recurring role on Snowfall, Williams has learned the ropes from the best. Shelby Stewart, Essence, 4 Apr. 2025 This operation recurred about a dozen times over the next half hour. Julia Amberger, Nanni Fontana, Marzio Mian, & Nicola Scevola (tr. Elettra Pauletto), The Dial, 3 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for recur

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Recur.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recur. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

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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