recidivism
noun
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The re- in recidivism is the same re- in relapse and return, and like those words recidivism is about going back: it’s a tendency to relapse, especially into criminal behavior. Recidivism is a 19th century French borrowing that’s ultimately from a Latin word meaning “to relapse into sin or crime.” In borrowing recidivism, English was itself engaging in a kind of recidivism: the same Latin source of recidivism had been nabbed in the 16th century to form the much less common recidivate, meaning “to fall into or exhibit recidivism.”
Examples of recidivism in a Sentence
Clayton Davis, Variety, 21 Nov. 2024
Instead, inmates would have the option to spend their time participating in rehabilitation programs, which proponents say would reduce recidivism.
—Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC News, 31 Oct. 2024
These evaluations often lead to sentences that include mental health care, trauma counseling or substance abuse treatment — measures that can reduce recidivism and create healthier communities.
—Sonia Singh, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2024
Books, said Matthay, connect an extremely isolated population to the wider world, give them new skills and can potentially reduce recidivism.
—Natalie Eilbert, Journal Sentinel, 2 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for recidivism 
Dictionary Entries Near recidivism
Cite this Entry
“Recidivism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recidivism. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
recidivism
noun
A. E. Kazdin et al.Legal Definition
recidivism
noun
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