recurring
Americanadjective
Other Word Forms
- recurringly adverb
- unrecurring adjective
Etymology
Origin of recurring
Explanation
Something recurring happens over and over. When you have a recurring cough, it could be something serious, like bronchitis. This is a word for things that keep popping up or returning, like flowers are a recurring subject of the artist Georgia O’Keefe’s paintings. Recurring lateness is a habit your teacher or boss won’t tolerate. Lots of people have recurring health problems, such as back pain or sore knees. A guest character on a TV show who shows up once in awhile is a recurring character: they just keep coming back.
Vocabulary lists containing recurring
List 8
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Vocabulary to Describe Literary Devices
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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.
Chronic exposure to noise is also a recurring complaint from critics.
From Salon • Apr. 27, 2026
First-quarter recurring earnings before interest and taxes fell 23% on year.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026
Accidental explosions are a grim routine in India's fireworks industry, recurring with troubling regularity - most visibly around Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu, which produces much of the country's supply.
From BBC • Apr. 22, 2026
He built Services into a $100 billion annually recurring business.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026
‘A recurring nightmare. Every night since Salim . .. went.’
From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd
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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.