recur
Meaning of recur: Recur means to happen again after a period of improvement or absence, describing the return of a symptom, condition, or disease.
Definition of recur
Recur means to happen again, particularly after a period during which a symptom, condition, or disease had improved or was not present. The word is used broadly across medicine to describe cancers that return after treatment, infections that come back after apparent resolution, and symptoms such as pain or fever that reappear after a symptom-free interval.
Whether something is described as having recurred depends on there having been a period of improvement, remission, or absence beforehand; a condition that never resolved and instead persisted continuously is usually described as chronic or ongoing rather than recurrent. The interval, pattern, and setting in which a recurrence is identified can all affect how it is evaluated and interpreted.
Documenting a recurrence typically includes noting how the return was identified, such as through symptoms, examination findings, laboratory testing, or imaging.
Used in a sentence
The symptoms were noted to recur several months after the initial treatment concluded.
Good to know
Recur specifically implies a prior period of resolution or improvement, which distinguishes a recurrent problem from one that is persistent or chronic and never fully went away.