What does reoccurring mean?
Reoccurring means happening repeatedly or returning over time, often at regular intervals. It can describe events, problems, themes, symptoms, or patterns: a reoccurring theme in a collection of stories, for example, or a reoccurring fault in a machine. The word is semantically identical to “recurring,” but “recurring” is the more usual choice in formal and informal English alike. Using “reoccurring” is not incorrect, though it may sound marked in polished writing because many speakers and editors regard it as a less common spelling. In everyday use, the distinction rarely changes the meaning, and standardizing on “recurring” will usually make prose sound more natural. The word is especially useful when repetition is central to the idea, as it suggests that something keeps returning rather than occurring only once.
adjectiveHappening repeatedly or recurring at regular intervals. The word is a less common spelling variant of “recurring.”
- Happening again and again, especially at regular intervals.
- Returning or appearing repeatedly over time.
"The museum has developed a reoccurring program for young artists."
"Seasonal allergies are a reoccurring problem for many people."
"She recognized the reoccurring theme in the novel's final chapters."
“Reoccurring” is a familiar idea with an uncommon spelling: dictionaries generally prefer the shorter “recurring.”
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does reoccurring come from?
The word is formed from the prefix re-, meaning “again,” and “occur,” a word borrowed through Old French from Latin recurrere, “to run back.” Latin recurrere combined re- with currere, “to run,” and developed the sense of returning or happening again. English “occurrence” and “recurrence” continue the same Latin history, while “reoccurring” reflects the influence of “occur” and the established form “recurring.”
Related word forms
How reoccurring is actually used
“Recurring” is more standard and considerably more common in contemporary British and American English. “Reoccurring” is accepted but may sound informal or unnecessarily emphatic, especially in edited prose.
Easily confused with reoccurring
Both words mean happening repeatedly, but “recurring” is the standard and more widely used spelling in British and American English.