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spontaneous recovery

American

[spon-tey-nee-uhs ri-kuhv-uh-ree] / spɒnˈteɪ ni əs rɪˈkʌv ə ri /

noun

Psychology. the unexpected revival of a conditioned response after its association with the stimulus has been erased.

Spontaneous recovery was first demonstrated by Pavlov (1927) and has since been repeated in several studies.

spontaneous recovery British

noun

psychol the reappearance of a response after its extinction has been followed by a period of rest

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of spontaneous recovery

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

spontaneous recovery

According to Burda, this improved debris removal may help explain why some patients experience partial, spontaneous recovery after spinal cord injury.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 13, 2026

They added that while it's lovely for people to be able to see them, it probably does not signify a spontaneous recovery of an extinct species.

From BBC ● Jun. 4, 2023

Syncope is the medical term for a transient loss of consciousness with spontaneous recovery resulting from inadequate blood flow to the brain.

From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2022

If they have success with those patients, whose chances of spontaneous recovery are almost nil, they’ll know with more certainty that the ultrasonic device is working.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2019

It seems to have a tendency to undergo spontaneous recovery.

From Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine by Pyle, Walter L. (Walter Lytle)

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023