recess
Americannoun
-
recesses
plural
-
temporary withdrawal or cessation from the usual work or activity.
-
a period of such withdrawal.
-
a receding part or space, as a bay or alcove in a room.
-
an indentation in a line or extent of coast, hills, forest, etc.
-
recesses, a secluded or inner area or part.
in the recesses of the palace.
verb (used with object)
-
recesses,
present (3rd person singular)
-
recessed,
past participle, past
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recessing
present participle
-
to place or set in a recess.
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to set or form as or like a recess; make a recess or recesses in.
to recess a wall.
-
to suspend or defer for a recess.
to recess the Senate.
verb (used without object)
-
recesses,
present (3rd person singular)
-
recessed,
past participle, past
-
recessing
present participle
noun
-
a space, such as a niche or alcove, set back or indented
-
(often plural) a secluded or secret place
recesses of the mind
-
a cessation of business, such as the closure of Parliament during a vacation
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anatomy a small cavity or depression in a bodily organ, part, or structure
-
a break between classes at a school
verb
-
(tr) to place or set (something) in a recess
-
(tr) to build a recess or recesses in (a wall, building, etc)
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
recesssimple
-
recessessimple
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have recessedperfect
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has recessedperfect
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am recessingprogressive
-
are recessingprogressive
-
is recessingprogressive
-
have been recessingperfect progressive
-
has been recessingperfect progressive
Past
-
recessedsimple
-
had recessedperfect
-
was recessingprogressive
-
were recessingprogressive
-
had been recessingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of recess
1510–20; < Latin recessus a withdrawal, receding part, equivalent to recēd ( ere ) to recede 1 + -tus suffix of v. action, with dt > ss
Explanation
Recess is a break from doing something, like work or school. Almost everyone looks forward to taking a recess — even if you don't have access to monkey bars. Recess comes from the Latin word recessus, meaning "a going back, retreat." You may have heard children talking about recess as their favorite part of school. This meaning of the word refers to the break in a school day for children to play, usually outside in a playground. As a verb, recess means to take a break at the end of a session — usually in a court proceeding: "The judge announced the court would recess until the following day."
Vocabulary lists containing recess
Vocabulary from The Articles of Confederation
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Frindle
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myPerspectives 10.1
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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.
See Examples For:
Burnham, who is embarking on a tour of the UK while Parliament is in recess, has promised a series of "everyday fixes" to help people with the cost of living.
From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026
The Senate approved Blanche as lawmakers raced through a roughly 20-hour session before departing Washington for their summer recess.
From Salon ● Aug. 8, 2026
Still, passing this bill in the House when Congress returns from its recess is important.
From Slate ● Aug. 4, 2026
The House has already left Washington for its summer recess and is unlikely to consider the bill before September.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
But when he tried to hang out with them, Principal Wombat forced him outside to have fun at recess whether he wanted to or not.
From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness
In the dark recesses of the U.S. economy, price pressures are bubbling up and foretelling another wave of inflation.
From MarketWatch ● May 13, 2026
Once hidden in the dark recesses of the web, this content is now easy to find.
From Barron's ● Apr. 9, 2026
Indonesian lawmakers take around five recesses a year, during which they visit their electoral districts and gather feedback from residents.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2025
The Hedgehog clears crumbs from the recesses of a toaster oven, the back of a pantry or that limbo area under the fridge.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2025
Kitchen sounds drifted around them from the drive.in’s recesses.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
The exterior’s focal points are the recessed areas—coves, in the jargon of early Corvettes—aft the front wheel arches, set off with J-shaped accents that reach across the doors’ shutline.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 30, 2026
Behind every roof beam is recessed LED lighting, with individual lighting control for every strand.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 10, 2026
Even with the rush of midday customers, there were still plenty of plush seats, ottomans, and warm-wood high-tops available, all wrapped up in recessed lighting and festive New York City holiday-themed decor.
From Slate ● Dec. 22, 2025
The unit is located on the 10th floor and features a large living room with light-wood walls, recessed lighting, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a private balcony.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 21, 2025
As it turned out, Ernestine’s tonsils were recessed and bigger than the doctor had expected.
From "Cheaper by the Dozen" by Frank B. Gilbreth Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey
The Court has about a dozen cases left on its docket to get through before recessing for the summer.
From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026
The House and the Senate are set to take their last votes today before recessing for the year.
From Salon ● Dec. 18, 2025
Mr. Schumer said the Senate was recessing to “give our Republican colleagues the night to figure themselves out.”
From New York Times ● Feb. 7, 2024
After voting down a drug ordinance in June, and then pledging something to replace that defeated plan, the council is recessing for the rest of August on Friday.
From Seattle Times ● Aug. 16, 2023
The most advanced detail which occurs in pre-Conquest buildings is the recessing of arches in orders.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 2, Slice 4 "Aram, Eugene" to "Arcueil" by Various
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.
