recidivism
Americannoun
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repeated or habitual relapse, as into crime.
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Psychiatry. the chronic tendency toward repetition of criminal or antisocial behavior patterns.
noun
Usage
What does recidivism mean? Recidivism most commonly refers to the act of continuing to commit crimes after having been imprisoned for one and released. In general, recidivism refers to a repeated or habitual relapse of any kind, but it is most often associated with crime and drug addiction. The verb form of recidivism is recidivate, which is synonymous with relapse. In psychology, recidivism refers to a repeated tendency to engage in crime or antisocial behavior. Example: Statistics show that elderly people have a low recidivism rate—once released from prison, they rarely commit more crimes.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of recidivism
First recorded in 1885–90; from Latin recidīv(us) “relapsing” (from recid(ere) “to fall back” (from re- re- + -cidere, combining form of cadere “to fall”) + -īvus -ive ) + -ism
Explanation
Recidivism means going back to a previous behavior, especially criminal behavior. People who work with prisoners are always hoping to lower recidivism rates. The word recidivism comes from the Latin root words re, meaning "back," and cadere, meaning "to fall" — or literally "to fall back." The word is most commonly used to discuss the relapse rate of criminals, who have served their sentence and have been released. However, it can be used for any relapse in behavior. Alcoholics who do not receive support are more prone to recidivism than those in recovery programs, such as Alcoholics Anonymous.
Vocabulary lists containing recidivism
Spinnin' Around
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Power Prefix: re-
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Power Suffix: -ism
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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.
State prison data is so difficult to access that it’s tough to calculate the country’s three-year recidivism rate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 18, 2026
A visit to a pasticceria program at a high-security Padua prison—where the recidivism rate for inmate bakers, we are told, is only 10%—is not so much about food as it is about Italy itself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 7, 2026
A Meta spokesperson told the BBC that her Instagram accounts had been "removed for violating our recidivism policy".
From BBC ● Dec. 4, 2025
Those who took part in the program have a lower-than-average recidivism rate—suggesting a model that could be used to expand early releases.
From Slate ● Jul. 5, 2025
It was a survival thing: he didn’t answer back, didn’t say anything about job security for prison guards, debate the nature of repentance, rehabilitation, or rates of recidivism.
From "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman
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.
