Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person who relapses into previous undesirable patterns of behavior: A recidivist is someone who returns to a previous, typically criminal or antisocial, pattern of behavior after having stopped it for a period.
   • A habitual criminal: Specifically, a recidivist is a person who is repeatedly arrested or convicted for criminal offenses, often for the same type of crime.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The judge gave the recidivist a longer sentence due to his history of repeat offenses.
  • Rehabilitation programs aim to reduce the number of recidivists returning to prison.
  • He was labeled a recidivist after his third arrest for theft.

Advanced Usage

• Legal and Criminological Context: The term is most formally used in legal, judicial, and sociological discussions about crime and punishment.
  • The study focused on the factors that contribute to an offender becoming a recidivist.
• Figurative Use: While less common, it can be used metaphorically to describe someone who repeatedly falls back into any negative habit.
  • When it comes to dieting, I'm a total recidivist—I always go back to eating junk food.

Variants and Related Words

• Recidivism (n): The act of relapsing into a previous condition or pattern of behavior, especially criminal behavior.
  • The state's primary goal is to lower its recidivism rate.
• Recidivate (v): To relapse into a previous pattern of behavior, especially criminal conduct. (This verb is formal and less common.)
  • Without proper support, many offenders recidivate.

Synonyms

• Repeat offender: A person who has been convicted of a crime on more than one occasion.
• Habitual criminal: A person who makes a career of crime or is persistently involved in criminal activity.
• Backslider: A person who reverts to bad habits or previous undesirable behavior. (This is more general and less legally specific.)

Related Phrases

• Chronic offender: Similar to "habitual criminal," emphasizing persistent criminal behavior.
• Career criminal: A person for whom criminal activity is a primary livelihood.

Related Idioms

• "Back to old tricks": This informal idiom describes behavior similar to a recidivist's, meaning to return to previous, often deceptive or negative, habits.
  • He promised to change, but he's back to his old tricks.

Noun

1. someone who lapses into previous undesirable patterns of behavior
2. someone who is repeatedly arrested for criminal behavior (especially for the same criminal behavior)