recess
Americannoun
-
recesses
plural
-
temporary withdrawal or cessation from the usual work or activity.
-
a period of such withdrawal.
-
a receding part or space, as a bay or alcove in a room.
-
an indentation in a line or extent of coast, hills, forest, etc.
-
recesses, a secluded or inner area or part.
in the recesses of the palace.
verb (used with object)
-
recesses,
present (3rd person singular)
-
recessed,
past participle, past
-
recessing
present participle
-
to place or set in a recess.
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to set or form as or like a recess; make a recess or recesses in.
to recess a wall.
-
to suspend or defer for a recess.
to recess the Senate.
verb (used without object)
-
recesses,
present (3rd person singular)
-
recessed,
past participle, past
-
recessing
present participle
noun
-
a space, such as a niche or alcove, set back or indented
-
(often plural) a secluded or secret place
recesses of the mind
-
a cessation of business, such as the closure of Parliament during a vacation
-
anatomy a small cavity or depression in a bodily organ, part, or structure
-
a break between classes at a school
verb
-
(tr) to place or set (something) in a recess
-
(tr) to build a recess or recesses in (a wall, building, etc)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
recesssimple
-
recessessimple
-
have recessedperfect
-
has recessedperfect
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am recessingprogressive
-
are recessingprogressive
-
is recessingprogressive
-
have been recessingperfect progressive
-
has been recessingperfect progressive
Past
-
recessedsimple
-
had recessedperfect
-
was recessingprogressive
-
were recessingprogressive
-
had been recessingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of recess
1510–20; < Latin recessus a withdrawal, receding part, equivalent to recēd ( ere ) to recede 1 + -tus suffix of v. action, with dt > ss
Explanation
Recess is a break from doing something, like work or school. Almost everyone looks forward to taking a recess — even if you don't have access to monkey bars. Recess comes from the Latin word recessus, meaning "a going back, retreat." You may have heard children talking about recess as their favorite part of school. This meaning of the word refers to the break in a school day for children to play, usually outside in a playground. As a verb, recess means to take a break at the end of a session — usually in a court proceeding: "The judge announced the court would recess until the following day."
Vocabulary lists containing recess
Vocabulary from The Articles of Confederation
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Frindle
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myPerspectives 10.1
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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.
See Examples For:
The Legislature is in recess and the 120 members of the state Senate and Assembly are in their districts.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
The Senate had left for August recess without a vote on the bill when the president called top crypto executives, including Armstrong, to a meeting at the White House that was streamed online.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
The issue was raised at Holyrood in June by the Scottish Greens at the final First Minister's Questions before the summer recess.
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
The US Congress returned from recess Monday facing urgent warnings that artificial intelligence could spin dangerously out of control -- and little agreement over whether, or how, Washington should intervene.
From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026
The corner is crowded, and people bump into each other, rushing to clean up before we go to recess.
From "Muffled" by Jennifer Gennari
Two bookshelves added in recesses on either side of our bed.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
“Her genius really does live in the recesses of her disturbed brain.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 15, 2026
“We’ve been at 40% odds of passage this year. That’s trending downward, and we will likely reduce our odds to 25%-30% if the Senate recesses Aug. 7 without passing Clarity.”
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
Once hidden in the dark recesses of the web, this content is now easy to find.
From Barron's ● Apr. 9, 2026
His flashlight beam ran over the batteries and down into the recesses of the well.
From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson
Medics whisked him to safety, gave him a pain blocker, and placed him in a bed with a recessed, plush mat that molded to his body.
From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026
Behind every roof beam is recessed LED lighting, with individual lighting control for every strand.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2026
The unit is located on the 10th floor and features a large living room with light-wood walls, recessed lighting, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a private balcony.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 21, 2025
The subtle highs and lows create ridges, which sear, and recessed pockets that promote airflow and deter sticking.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 24, 2025
I fell back, supine on the scuffed floor of the dance room, and stared up at the recessed lighting.
From "A Very Large Expanse of Sea" by Tahereh Mafi
The Court has about a dozen cases left on its docket to get through before recessing for the summer.
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026
The House and the Senate are set to take their last votes today before recessing for the year.
From Salon ● Dec. 18, 2025
After voting down a drug ordinance in June, and then pledging something to replace that defeated plan, the council is recessing for the rest of August on Friday.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 16, 2023
In one painting, “Three Sisters,” the faces of matriarchs from three distinct communities and time periods intersect, emerging and recessing in the frame, with optical illusions created by the overlapping lines and colors.
From New York Times ● Jul. 8, 2021
In France, during the Gothic period, the several orders were carved with figure sculpture, as also the door jambs; and the great recessing of these doorways brought them more into the categories of porches.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 6 "Dodwell" to "Drama" by Various
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.
