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)
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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
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have recessedperfect
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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:
She lost her seat at the election but is able to return to Holyrood after the summer recess to fill the Glasgow list MSP vacancy left by Sarwar.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
The Senate approved Blanche as lawmakers raced through a roughly 20-hour session before departing Washington for their summer recess.
From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026
Senators are scheduled to leave Washington in the coming days for their annual five-week August recess.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
The House has already left Washington for its summer recess and is unlikely to consider the bill before September.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
He’d said nothing since recess, not to Zeke, not to anyone.
From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness
“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
In the dark recesses of the economy, price pressures are bubbling up and foretelling another wave of inflation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 13, 2026
Once hidden in the dark recesses of the web, this content is now easy to find.
From Barron's ● Apr. 9, 2026
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 ● Dec. 17, 2025
The West Computers watched their colleague remove the sign and banish it to the recesses of her purse, her small act of defiance inspiring both anxiety and a sense of empowerment.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
The remaining bedrooms boast recessed lighting, mirrored closets, and private outdoor spaces.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 9, 2026
Behind every roof beam is recessed LED lighting, with individual lighting control for every strand.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2026
Even with the rush of midday customers, there were still plenty of plush seats, ottomans, and warm-wood high-tops available, all wrapped up in recessed lighting and festive New York City holiday-themed decor.
From Slate ● Dec. 22, 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
He holds the model under the lamp and turns it so that its recessed front door faces him.
From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
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
It looked then as if there might be several codes, but before recessing several hours later some concessions had been made, and discussion on the more volatile points had been deferred.
From Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the 44th Annual Meeting Rochester, N.Y. August 31 and September 1, 1953 by Northern Nut Growers Association
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.
