What does recur mean?
To recur means to happen again or to return after an interval. The word is useful for describing anything that repeats, whether a practical issue such as a recurring equipment failure, a recurring theme in literature, or a recurring thought in a person's mind. Recur can suggest repetition that is regular or systematic, but it can also describe something that simply reappears. It is common in formal, academic, and professional contexts, as well as in ordinary speech. The related adjective recursive often describes a process that returns to an earlier stage or repeats itself, while recursion names that repeated process. The word comes from Latin recurrere, literally “to run back,” reflecting the idea of movement returning to a previous point.
verbTo happen or occur again, especially at regular intervals. It can also mean to return to a person's thoughts or awareness.
- To happen or occur again, especially at regular intervals.
- To return to a person's thoughts, attention, or awareness.
- To come back or reappear.
"The problem recurs whenever the weather changes suddenly."
"The theme of homecoming recurs throughout the novel."
"Her doubts recurred as the deadline approached."
From Latin recurrere, “to run back,” recur originally described a process that returned to where it began.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does recur come from?
The English verb comes from Latin recurrere, formed from re- “back” and currere “to run.” It originally conveyed the idea of running or coming back and developed into the modern sense of happening or returning again. The word has cognates in several Romance languages, including French récurser and Spanish recurrir. Its derivatives, including recursion and recursive, continue to express repetition or return in modern usage.
Related word forms
How recur is actually used
Recur is neutral in register and is especially common in formal and academic writing. It often implies repetition at intervals, whether regular or irregular. The related adjective is recursive, as in “recursive pattern,” and the noun is recursion.
Easily confused with recur
An event can occur once or repeatedly, whereas something that recurs happens again, often more than once.