recession

¹ American  

[ri-sesh-uhn] / rɪˈsɛʃ ən /

noun

1. the act of receding or withdrawing.

2. a receding part of a wall, building, etc.

3. a withdrawing procession, as at the end of a religious service.

4. Economics. a period of an economic contraction, sometimes limited in scope or duration.

---

recession ² American  

[ree-sesh-uhn] / riˈsɛʃ ən /

noun

1. a return of ownership to a former possessor.

---

recession ¹ British  

/ rɪˈsɛʃən /

noun

1. a temporary depression in economic activity or prosperity

2. the withdrawal of the clergy and choir in procession from the chancel at the conclusion of a church service

3. the act of receding

4. a part of a building, wall, etc, that recedes

---

recession ² British  

/ riːˈsɛʃən /

noun

1. the act of restoring possession to a former owner

---

recession Cultural  

1. A general business slump, less severe than a depression.

---

Etymology

Origin of recession¹

First recorded in 1640–50, recession is from the Latin word recessiōn- (stem of recessiō ). See recess, -ion

Origin of recession²

First recorded in 1885–90; re- + cession

Explanation

Jobs being cut? Houses not selling? Everyone talking about the poor sales of everything from cars to bouquets of flowers? That's a recession, a time of economic decline. Recession comes from the Latin word recessus, meaning "a going back, retreat." Think of all the things that get made and sold in a country. When fewer people buy things, orders for them slow down. The sales "go back" to a lower amount. This is an economic recession. This noun can also describe other kinds of "going back," like the recession of floodwaters that enable people to begin cleaning up their homes that had been filled with water.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

recession

France only narrowly avoided a recession in the second quarter, as activity stagnated after extreme heat hit agricultural output and the energy price shock from the war in Iran continued to squeeze households and businesses.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

The 2008 recession reduced him from an owner to a driver, whereas the 2020 pandemic boom made him millions.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

That allows them to spend at levels that keep the economy growing and out of recession.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 3, 2026

Kjer said the department never recovered from the 2008 recession, when city leaders cut staffing by more than 25%, leaving it with about 1,500 workers last year.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

And my heart tightened as the first crowd swung imperturbably back to their looting with derisive cries, like sandpipers swinging around to glean the shore after a furious wave's recession.

From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison

Related Words

• bankruptcy
• collapse
• decline
• deflation
• downturn
• hard times
• inflation
• shakeout
• slide
• slump
• stagnation
• unemployment