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Recurring
/rɪˈkɜːrɪŋ/
happening repeatedly
She has a recurring dream about flying.
Her dream of flying happens repeatedly.
neutral
Occurring again and again, often at regular intervals.
The magazine publishes a recurring feature on health tips.
The magazine regularly includes a section on health tips.
He suffers from recurring headaches.
He frequently experiences headaches.
Often used to describe events, problems, or themes that repeat over time.
Collocations
recurring themea repeated idea or topicrecurring paymentan automatic charge at set intervals
Pro Tip
Avoid confusion with 'recurrent'
'Recurring' emphasizes repetition over time, while 'recurrent' often describes something that returns after a pause. Both can sometimes be interchangeable, but 'recurring' is more common in everyday language.
Gold Rule
Use 'recurring' for predictable repetition
If something happens repeatedly in a predictable pattern, 'recurring' is the best choice (e.g., 'a recurring monthly meeting').
Word Origin
From Latin *recurrere* (to run back), via Old French *recorir*, combining *re-* (back) + *currere* (to run).
Usage Notes
Common in formal and informal contexts, especially in finance (e.g., recurring payments), medicine (e.g., recurring symptoms), and literature (e.g., recurring motifs).
Word Breakdown
re-
again or back
prefix-curr-
to run
root-ing
present participle form
suffixEnglish Dictionary