What does nonrecurring mean?
Nonrecurring describes something that does not happen again, or that happens only as an exception to an otherwise regular pattern. The word is especially common in business and financial contexts, where a nonrecurring expense or cost is a one-time charge rather than an ongoing operating expense. It can also describe weather, events, or characteristics that are exceptional rather than habitual. Although “one-off” may sound more informal, “nonrecurring” is useful when an event could potentially recur but, in the particular case or period being discussed, does not. The prefix non- negates “recurring,” which means happening repeatedly or at regular intervals. In careful writing, the term helps distinguish a temporary or isolated occurrence from a persistent condition, making it valuable in descriptions of costs, changes, patterns, and disruptions.
adjectiveNot recurring or happening again; occurring only once or otherwise not at regular intervals.
- Not recurring, repeating, or happening at regular intervals.
- Occurring only once or as an exceptional event rather than as part of an ongoing pattern.
"The company distinguishes between recurring revenue and nonrecurring charges."
"The renovation was a nonrecurring expense that the business charged to its annual results."
"Snowfall was nonrecurring during the unusually warm winter."
Nonrecurring costs can look small on a single report, yet they can dramatically reshape a company’s annual profit.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does nonrecurring come from?
The word is formed from the prefix non-, meaning “not,” and the present participle recurring, from the Latin recurrere, meaning “to run back” or “to return.” Its development follows the same broad pattern found in other English formations using non- to negate an existing adjective. The related words recur, recurrence, and recurrent preserve the same Latin root, while current derives from a different but related Latin stem.
Related word forms
How nonrecurring is actually used
Common in business, finance, formal writing, and descriptive prose. It is usually more precise than merely saying that something happens only once, since it also implies the possibility of repetition that does not occur.