recurring
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
- recurringly adverb
- unrecurring adjective
Etymology
Origin of recurring
Explanation
Something recurring happens over and over. When you have a recurring cough, it could be something serious, like bronchitis. This is a word for things that keep popping up or returning, like flowers are a recurring subject of the artist Georgia O’Keefe’s paintings. Recurring lateness is a habit your teacher or boss won’t tolerate. Lots of people have recurring health problems, such as back pain or sore knees. A guest character on a TV show who shows up once in awhile is a recurring character: they just keep coming back.
Vocabulary lists containing recurring
List 8
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Number the Stars
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Vocabulary to Describe Literary Devices
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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.
But a lack of control has been a recurring theme this season and Newcastle have dropped more points from winning positions than any other team in the Premier League.
From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026
I incurred a small brokerage cost to build the ladder, but no recurring fees or expenses.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
El Niño is one phase in a recurring global cycle known as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, with its counterpart being La Niña.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
The governance issues he confronted—conflicts of interest, self-dealing, and the temptation to look the other way—are recurring features of modern capitalism, perhaps now more than ever.
From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026
Teenage defectors from the North, when they arrive in South Korea, have told government counselors of a recurring dream: they are sitting at a table with their families, eating warm rice.
From "Escape from Camp 14: One Man's Remarkable Odyssey from North Korea to Freedom in the West" by Blaine Harden
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
