recessionary

American

[ri-sesh-uh-ner-ee] / rɪˈsɛʃ əˌnɛr i /

adjective

of, relating to, or causing recession, especially economic recession.

recessionary market pressures.

recessionary British

/ rɪˈsɛʃənərɪ /

adjective

of, caused by, or undergoing economic recession

"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

Etymology

Origin of recessionary

First recorded in 1955–60; recession ¹ + -ary

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:

recessionary

The signs are well short of recessionary levels, but that seems to hinge on middle-class consumers’ net worth.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

Despite the Iran war, elevated oil prices, inflation, recessionary fears, and worries that the artificial-intelligence boom has created a stock market bubble, stocks keep going up.

From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026

Back in recessionary 2009, sales plunged as fewer people were willing to prepay for years of vacations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026

“A confluence of headwinds—even if each individually is not strong enough to turn the cycle—can take a sluggish economy and make it a recessionary one.”

From Barron's ● Mar. 11, 2026

“Our read is that, to have a real credit crisis, you probably need a recession,” said Chang, adding that defaults tend to be higher in a recessionary environment.

From MarketWatch ● Feb. 21, 2026

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023