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Synonyms

recess

American  
[ri-ses, ree-ses] / rɪˈsɛs, ˈri sɛs /

noun

  1. temporary withdrawal or cessation from the usual work or activity.

    Synonyms:
    vacation, break, rest, respite

  2. a period of such withdrawal.

  3. a receding recede part or space, as a bay or alcove in a room.

  4. an indentation in a line or extent of coast, hills, forest, etc.

  5. recesses, a secluded or inner area or part.

    in the recesses of the palace.

verb (used with object)

  1. to place or set in a recess.

  2. to set or form as or like a recess; make a recess or recesses in.

    to recess a wall.

  3. to suspend or defer for a recess.

    to recess the Senate.

verb (used without object)

  1. to take a recess.

recess British  

noun

  1. a space, such as a niche or alcove, set back or indented

  2. (often plural) a secluded or secret place

    recesses of the mind

  3. a cessation of business, such as the closure of Parliament during a vacation

  4. anatomy a small cavity or depression in a bodily organ, part, or structure

  5. a break between classes at a school

"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

verb

  1. (tr) to place or set (something) in a recess

  2. (tr) to build a recess or recesses in (a wall, building, etc)

"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

Other Word Forms

  • nonrecess noun

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

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.

In a statement released just before Parliament's Christmas recess, Local Government Minister Alison McGovern said "multiple councils" had requested a postponement.

From BBC

Parliament returns from the Christmas recess on Monday and the prime minister is set to hold his first Cabinet meeting of 2026 the following day.

From BBC

In a statement released on Thursday, the last day before the parliamentary Christmas recess, Local Government Minister Alison McGovern said "multiple councils" had requested a postponement.

From BBC

The House and the Senate are set to take their last votes today before recessing for the year.

From Salon

With enough votes to force the issue, House Minority Speaker Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., called for an immediate vote before the House recesses for the holidays.

From Salon

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.