Definition

Noun: 1. The act or instance of happening or appearing again, especially after a period of absence or at regular intervals. It refers to the return or repetition of an event, condition, or phenomenon. 2. The process of coming back into one's mind or memory. (This sense is less common and often appears in specific contexts like "recurrence of a thought.")

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The doctor was concerned about the recurrence of the patient's symptoms.
  • We hope to prevent the recurrence of last year's flooding.
  • The festival is an annual recurrence that the whole town enjoys.
  • He experienced a sudden recurrence of the childhood memory.

Advanced Usage

• "Risk of recurrence": A common phrase in medical and statistical contexts indicating the probability that something (like a disease or event) will happen again.
  • After surgery, the patient's risk of cancer recurrence is low.
• "Pattern of recurrence": Used to describe a recognizable, often predictable sequence in which events repeat.
  • The data shows a clear pattern of recurrence every five years.

Variants and Related Words

• Recur (verb): To happen or occur again, especially after an interval.
  • The problem is likely to recur if we don't fix the root cause.
• Recurrent (adjective): Happening or appearing repeatedly or periodically.
  • She suffers from recurrent headaches.
• Recurring (adjective, present participle): Used to describe something that happens again and again.
  • A recurring theme in his novels is the struggle for justice.

Synonyms

• Return: The act of coming or going back to a place or condition.
• Repetition: The act of repeating something.
• Reappearance: The act of appearing again.
• Relapse: A deterioration in someone's state of health after a temporary improvement. (Specific to medical/negative contexts.)

Related Phrases

• Cycle of recurrence: Emphasizes the repetitive, circular nature of the events.
  • The country was trapped in a cycle of recurrence: drought, famine, then relief efforts.

Noun

1. happening again (especially at regular intervals)
   • the return of spring