recur

[ri-kur]

verb (used without object)

recurred, recurring 

1. to occur again, as an event, experience, etc.

2. to return to the mind.

   The idea kept recurring.

3. to come up again for consideration, as a question.

4. to have recourse.

recur

/ rɪˈkɜː /

verb

1. to happen again, esp at regular intervals

2. (of a thought, idea, etc) to come back to the mind

3. (of a problem, etc) to come up again

4. maths (of a digit or group of digits) to be repeated an infinite number of times at the end of a decimal fraction

Other Word Forms

• recurring adjective
• recurringly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of recur¹

1610–20; earlier: to recede < Latin recurrere to run back, equivalent to re- re- + currere to run

Word History and Origins

Origin of recur¹

C15: from Latin recurrere , from _re- + currere to run

Example Sentences

But inside cavernous buildings that normally house NFL teams, empty seats were a recurring theme.

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Mr. Winter brings to this crucial moment a sense of mournful confusion and despair that recurs throughout.

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The very spirit of enterprise that lured Smithson’s money in the first place could also be associated with a kind of restlessness, mounting recurring challenges to the established order.

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Some investors are looking past the government shutdown, which they view as recurring events that exert little impact on markets.

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Yet those recurring complaints, widely shared on social media, have not led people to take to the streets in protest.

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Related Words

• persist 
• reappear