recession

¹ American  

[ri-sesh-uhn] / rɪˈsɛʃ ən /

noun

1. the act of receding recede or withdrawing.

2. a receding recede 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.

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recession ² American  

[ree-sesh-uhn] / riˈsɛʃ ən /

noun

1. a return of ownership to a former possessor.

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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

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recession ² British  

/ riːˈsɛʃən /

noun

1. the act of restoring possession to a former owner

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recession Cultural  

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

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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

Example Sentences

He expects the cease-fire to be net positive for the benchmark index, as it’s dominated by financials and cyclicals that could benefit from reduced risks of inflation risk and recession.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

The labor market had stabilized enough to ease recession fears, and progress toward the Fed’s 2% inflation goal had stalled.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

Those previous crises tipped the economy into stagflation and recession.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

In 2022, expectations that aggressive interest-rate hikes by the Fed would trigger a recession caused stocks to log their biggest decline since 2008.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 8, 2026

The valley had never recovered from the recession; people needed work.

From "Educated" by Tara Westover

Related Words

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