recurrent

R1E1C3U1R1R1E1N1T1
Australia, UK/ɹɪˈkʌɹənt/Canada, US/ɹɪˈkɝənt/

adjective

Recurring; happening time after time.

“a recurrent nerve or artery”

Similar
perennialrepetitioushabitualmonotonousrecurringrepeatingrepetitionalrepetitionary
Opposite
transientprecurrent
OriginLatin recurrens →
Less commonScrabble 11
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Meanings

adjectiverecurrent (not comparable)
  1. not comparableRecurring; happening time after time.

    The patient complained of recurrent chest pain.

    Synonyms: perennial, repetitious, habitual, monotonous, perennial, recurring, repeating, repetitional

  2. not comparablestochastic processesmathematicsNon-transient.

    Synonyms: persistent · Antonyms: transient

  3. not comparableanatomyRunning back toward its origin.

    a recurrent nerve or artery

    Antonyms: precurrent

  4. not comparablebiologyTurned back toward the base.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveRecurring; happening time after time.

Similar
perennialrepetitioushabitualmonotonousperennialrecurringrepeatingrepetitionalrepetitionaryrepetitiousrepetitive

adjectiveNon-transient.

Similar
persistent
Opposite
transient

adjectiveRunning back toward its origin.

Opposite
precurrent

More synonyms by meaning

adjectiverecurring again and again

Similar
perennialrepeatedcontinual
Also see
continualhabitualmonotonousperennialrecurringrepeatedrepeatingrepetitionalrepetitionaryrepetitiousrepetitive

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinrecurrens
  2. Englishrecurrent

From Latin recurrens, present participle of recurrere. Morphologically recur + -ent.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian повтарящ се, рекурентен
  • повтарящ се (povtarjašt se)recurring time after time
  • рекурентен (rekurenten)math: non-transient
Catalan recurrent
  • recurrentrecurring time after time
Finnish uusiutuva, toistuva
  • uusiutuvarecurring time after time
  • toistuvarecurring time after time
French périodique, récurrent
  • périodiquerecurring time after time
  • récurrentrecurring time after time
German wiederholt, wiederkehrend
  • wiederholtrecurring time after time
  • wiederkehrendrecurring time after time
  • rekurrentmath: non-transient
Hebrew נשנה
  • נשנה (nishné)math: non-transient
Irish athfhillteach
  • athfhillteachrecurring time after time
Italian ricorrente
  • ricorrenterecurring time after time
Japanese 再発性の
  • 再発性の (saihatsusei no)recurring time after time
Māori auau, tāruarua
  • auaurecurring time after time
  • tāruaruarecurring time after time
  • huirangirecurring time after time
Portuguese recorrente, recorrente
  • recorrenterecurring time after time
  • recorrenterunning back toward its origin
Romanian recurent, reînceput
  • recurentrecurring time after time
  • reînceputrecurring time after time
  • repetatrecurring time after time
Russian повторя́ющийся, возвраща́ющийся
  • повторя́ющийся (povtorjájuščijsja)recurring time after time
  • возвраща́ющийся (vozvraščájuščijsja)recurring time after time
  • рециди́вный (recidívnyj)recurring time after time
  • возвра́тный (vozvrátnyj)recurring time after time
  • периоди́ческий (periodíčeskij)recurring time after time
  • рекурре́нтный (rekurréntnyj)math: non-transient
Spanish recurrente, recurrente
  • recurrenterecurring time after time
  • recurrenterunning back toward its origin
Swedish återkommande
  • återkommanderecurring time after time
Turkish nükseden, tekrarlayan
  • nüksedenrecurring time after time
  • tekrarlayanrecurring time after time
  • reküranrecurring time after time
  • rekürentrecurring time after time
  • rekurrentmath: non-transient

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with recurrent

currentcurrantoccurrent
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

recurrent. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/recurrent

MLA

“recurrent.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/recurrent. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “recurrent,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/recurrent.

Source: recurrent on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.