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.

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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

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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

With provisions increasing and the DRP discounted, Lead flags deteriorating asset quality and notes NAB’s consideration that Australia’s economy could enter an extreme recession.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

With the European Union's second-largest economy on the brink of recession and under pressure to rein in debt, the government has limited scope to appease student protesters through additional spending.

From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026

The idea is to avoid being held hostage by a major market correction or, worse, a recession by being forced to withdraw money during a down market.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026

“So the options for bailing out the financial sector, or fighting recession, could be much more constrained than during the global financial crisis.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 25, 2026

Later, as they discussed the price of the land, Edusco said, “Look, my brother. You won’t sell it at that price, nobody will buy. Ife esika ktta. The recession is biting everybody.”

From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

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Related Words

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

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