recession

1
[ ri-sesh-uhn ]
See synonyms for recession on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. the act of receding or withdrawing.

  2. a receding part of a wall, building, etc.

  1. a withdrawing procession, as at the end of a religious service.

  2. Economics. a period of an economic contraction, sometimes limited in scope or duration.: Compare depression (def. 7).

Origin of recession

1
First recorded in 1640–50, recession is from the Latin word recessiōn- (stem of recessiō). See recess, -ion

Words Nearby recession

Other definitions for recession (2 of 2)

recession2
[ ree-sesh-uhn ]

noun
  1. a return of ownership to a former possessor.

Origin of recession

2
First recorded in 1885–90; re- + cession

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use recession in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for recession (1 of 2)

recession1

/ (rɪˈsɛʃən) /


noun
  1. a temporary depression in economic activity or prosperity

  2. the withdrawal of the clergy and choir in procession from the chancel at the conclusion of a church service

  1. the act of receding

  2. a part of a building, wall, etc, that recedes

Origin of recession

1
C17: from Latin recessio; see recess

British Dictionary definitions for recession (2 of 2)

recession2

/ (riːˈsɛʃən) /


noun
  1. the act of restoring possession to a former owner

Origin of recession

2
C19: from re- + cession

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for recession

recession

A general business slump, less severe than a depression.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.