recurrence
gb/ɹɪkˈɚəns/ us/ɹɪkˈɚəns/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
Noun
formal
C1
event
1
Something happening again
when something happens again, especially something unwanted
Usage pattern:
a recurrence of [something]
Common mistake:
Do not confuse the noun recurrence with the adjective recurring. Recurrence is also more common than reoccurrence in formal writing.
Synonyms
repetition (more general and often less formal)
|
return (emphasizes coming back after absence)
|
reappearance (emphasizes becoming visible or noticeable again)
Antonyms
cessation (the stopping of something rather than its happening again)
|
one-off (something that happens only once, not repeatedly)
Collocations
prevent a recurrence
|avoid a recurrence
|fear a recurrence
|a recurrence of violence
|a recurrence of the problem
|a recurrence of symptoms
|frequent recurrence
|periodic recurrence
|recurrence pattern
|recurrence of flooding
Themes
events
|problems
|patterns
Examples
- The company changed its procedures to prevent a recurrence of the error.
- Residents fear a recurrence of last year's flooding.
- The recurrence of the same image throughout the film gives it a dreamlike quality.
Learner examples
- We hope there will be no recurrence of the problem.
- The school wants to prevent a recurrence of the accident.
Noun
technical
C1
event
2
Illness returning after improvement
when an illness or symptom comes back after getting better
Usage pattern:
recurrence of [disease/symptom]; [disease] recurrence
Common mistake:
Recurrence refers to the disease or symptom coming back. Relapse can also refer to a person becoming ill again or returning to an addiction.
Synonyms
relapse (often used for a person becoming ill again or returning to an addictive behavior)
|
return (less technical and more general)
Antonyms
remission (a period when disease signs are reduced or absent)
|
recovery (improvement or return to health rather than return of illness)
Collocations
cancer recurrence
|tumor recurrence
|disease recurrence
|symptom recurrence
|local recurrence
|recurrence risk
|risk of recurrence
|recurrence rate
|no evidence of recurrence
|recurrence-free survival
Themes
health
|medicine
|disease
Examples
- The scan showed no evidence of cancer recurrence.
- Doctors monitor patients closely because recurrence is most likely in the first two years.
- She reported a recurrence of chest pain after stopping the medication.
Learner examples
- The doctor said the risk of recurrence is low.
- Her tests showed no recurrence of the disease.
Noun
technical
C2
rule
3
Recursive mathematical rule
a math rule that uses earlier values to find later values
Usage pattern:
a recurrence for [a sequence/function]; solve the recurrence
Common mistake:
In mathematics and computer science, recurrence is often short for recurrence relation. It is not the same as the general idea of an event happening again.
Synonyms
recurrence relation (the full technical term)
|
recursive formula (more explanatory and often used in teaching)
Antonyms
closed form (gives values directly rather than through earlier values)
|
explicit formula (does not require repeated recursive calculation)
Collocations
solve a recurrence
|linear recurrence
|recurrence relation
|recurrence equation
|recurrence formula
|recurrence for a sequence
|recurrence for running time
|divide-and-conquer recurrence
|homogeneous recurrence
|second-order recurrence
Themes
mathematics
|computer_science
|algorithms
Examples
- The Fibonacci numbers can be defined by a simple recurrence.
- We used the master theorem to solve the recurrence for the algorithm's running time.
- This recurrence expresses each term as the sum of the two previous terms.
Learner examples
- The recurrence tells us how to find the next number.
- They solved the recurrence in class.
Grammar
Dictionary form
recurrence
IPA
GB/ɹɪkˈɚəns/
US/ɹɪkˈɚəns/
Syllables & stress
re - cur - rence (3 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (cur)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: recurrence
- Plural: recurrence, recurrences
Expressions
eternal recurrence
1/ɪtˈɚnəl ɹɪkˈɚəns/
fixed phrase
technical
idea of events repeating forever
A philosophical idea that the world and all events repeat in the same way again and again, forever.
Examples
- Nietzsche’s idea of eternal recurrence challenges people to affirm their lives.
- The professor gave a lecture on eternal recurrence in modern philosophy.
- The novel plays with the theme of eternal recurrence through repeated scenes.
eternal recurrence
1/ɪtˈɚnəl ɹɪkˈɚəns/
fixed phrase
literary
Endless repetition of existence
the idea that the same events happen again and again forever
Examples
- Nietzsche's idea of eternal recurrence asks whether you would live your life again exactly the same way.
- The novel plays with eternal recurrence, returning its characters to the same choices again and again.
- For some readers, the film's time loop suggests a modern version of eternal recurrence.
no evidence of recurrence
1/nˈoʊ ˈɛvədəns əv ɹɪkˈɚəns/
fixed phrase
technical
No detected return
tests do not show that the illness has come back
Examples
- Her latest scan showed no evidence of recurrence.
- After five years, there was still no evidence of recurrence.
- The report noted no evidence of recurrence at the surgical site.
prevent a recurrence
1/pɹɪvˈɛnt ə ɹɪkˈɚəns/
fixed phrase
Stop it happening again
to stop the same bad thing from happening again
Examples
- The airline introduced new safety checks to prevent a recurrence.
- We need to understand what went wrong and prevent a recurrence of the problem.
- After the data breach, the company promised measures to prevent a recurrence.
recurrence interval
1/ɹɪkˈɚəns ˈɪntɚvəl/
fixed phrase
technical
Average time between events
the average time expected between events like floods of a certain size
Examples
- Engineers design bridges using estimates of flood recurrence intervals.
- A storm with a 50-year recurrence interval can occur more than once in a person's lifetime.
- The earthquake hazard map is based partly on recurrence intervals for major faults.
recurrence rate
1/ɹɪkˈɚəns ɹˈeɪt/
fixed phrase
technical
How often it returns
the number or percentage of times something comes back
Examples
- Researchers compared recurrence rates after the two treatments.
- The recurrence rate was highest in patients who stopped treatment early.
- The city tracks the recurrence rate of software failures after each update.
risk of recurrence
1/ɹˈɪsk əv ɹɪkˈɚəns/
fixed phrase
Chance of return
how likely it is that something will come back or happen again
Examples
- The drug can reduce the risk of recurrence after surgery.
- Your risk of recurrence depends on the type and stage of the cancer.
- Better drainage should lower the risk of recurrence of flooding in the area.