recidivism
Americannoun
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repeated or habitual relapse, as into crime.
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Psychiatry. the chronic tendency toward repetition of criminal or antisocial behavior patterns.
noun
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012Usage
What does recidivism mean? Recidivism most commonly refers to the act of continuing to commit crimes after having been imprisoned for one and released.In general, recidivism refers to a repeated or habitual relapse of any kind, but it is most often associated with crime and drug addiction. The verb form of recidivism is recidivate, which is synonymous with relapse. In psychology, recidivism refers to a repeated tendency to engage in crime or antisocial behavior.Example: Statistics show that elderly people have a low recidivism rate—once released from prison, they rarely commit more crimes.
Other Word Forms
- recidivist noun
- recidivistic adjective
- recidivous adjective
Etymology
Origin of recidivism
First recorded in 1885–90; from Latin recidīv(us) “relapsing” (from recid(ere) “to fall back” (from re- re- + -cidere, combining form of cadere “to fall”) + -īvus -ive ) + -ism
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He founded a successful behavioral health program called the Redemption Project, and worked to reduce recidivism and violence inside prisons.
From Seattle Times
Our recidivism rates remain stubbornly high, people of color are disproportionately incarcerated, and both conservatives and liberals make loud arguments as to why.
From Los Angeles Times
Prison officials say that jobs help reduce recidivism and allow incarcerated people to pay their restitution and other court-ordered fees.
From Los Angeles Times
They leaned heavily on Smollett’s history of community service, lack of criminal record and unlikelihood for recidivism to be weighed during sentencing for his nonviolent offense.
From Los Angeles Times
The sheriff argued that his office’s "change in philosophy" will reduce recidivism and represents a "small step" in influencing how those incarcerated view themselves.
From Fox News
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
