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.
Some researchers have clocked precipitous drops in the recidivism rate, as this metric is called, because of educational progress and its connection to landing a good job.
From Los Angeles Times
The act, which contains a series of criminal justice reforms including changes in sentencing and recidivism risk assessment, has benefited 40,000 people, he said.
From Los Angeles Times
Thousands have gone through the 10-year-old program, and it’s part of a broader push by the state to go beyond punishment and rehabilitate incarcerated people and reduce recidivism.
From Los Angeles Times
In the US, analysis from 2016 of a recidivism tool found black defendants were more likely than their white peers to be incorrectly judged to be at higher risk of repeat offending.
From BBC
Many have had life sentences reduced — a subgroup that has a recidivism rate under 3%, the lowest of all released prisoners.
From Los Angeles Times
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.
