recession
B2 (Upper Intermediate)Formal (common in news, business, academic contexts).
Definition
Meaning
A period of temporary economic decline during which trade and industrial activity are reduced, generally identified by a fall in GDP in two successive quarters.
Any temporary period of decline, setback, or withdrawal. This can apply to fields like geology (the gradual withdrawal of water from a shoreline) or general language (a period of reduced activity).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily an economic term but extends metaphorically. Its common use is often linked to broader public experience of job losses, reduced spending, and lower confidence.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major difference in definition or primary usage. Spelling and compound phrasing may vary slightly (e.g., 'double-dip recession' is used in both).
Connotations
Similarly negative in both varieties. The term is heavily associated with political and economic policy debates.
Frequency
Equally frequent in business and media discourse in both BrE and AmE.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
The country is in recession.The economy fell into a recession.to pull out of a recessionthe recession of the late 2000sVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “weather the recession”
- “recession-proof (adj)”
- “a double-dip recession”
- “bounce back from a recession”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
The board is preparing strategies to navigate the impending recession.
Academic
The study analysed the structural causes of the 2008-09 recession.
Everyday
Everyone's tightening their belts because of the recession.
Technical
The NBER's Business Cycle Dating Committee declared a recession based on peak-to-trough analysis.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- (Not applicable; 'recession' is not a verb. Use 'recede'.)
- (N/A)
American English
- (Not applicable; 'recession' is not a verb. Use 'recede'.)
- (N/A)
adverb
British English
- (Not applicable; no direct adverb form.)
- (N/A)
American English
- (Not applicable; no direct adverb form.)
- (N/A)
adjective
British English
- recession-hit industries
- post-recession Britain
American English
- recession-era policies
- recession-resistant jobs
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The company lost money in the recession.
- Many shops closed during the recession.
- The country is now in a recession, and unemployment is rising.
- We saved money before the recession started.
- Despite fears of a global recession, some markets remained stable.
- The government introduced measures to pull the economy out of recession.
- A protracted recession could undermine the structural reforms implemented over the past decade.
- Economists debate whether a technical recession, defined by two quarters of negative growth, captures the full socio-economic impact.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of RECESS (a break) + ION (an action) → an action where the economy takes a break (or declines).
Conceptual Metaphor
ECONOMY IS A BODY / A PERSON: The economy falls into, slips into, or pulls out of a recession (like a body falling into a hole).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid translating directly as 'рецессия' in contexts where 'спад' or 'кризис' is more natural in Russian general speech.
- Russian 'рецессия' is a direct borrowing used formally; English 'recession' is used more broadly in media and daily life.
- Confusion with 'depression': 'Recession' is less severe than 'Great Depression' ('Великая депрессия').
Common Mistakes
- Using 'recession' for a permanent collapse (use 'depression').
- Pronouncing it as /ˈriːsɛʃ(ə)n/ (stress is on second syllable).
- Confusing 'in recession' with 'in a recession' (both acceptable).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the closest synonym for 'recession' in a formal economic context?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
A recession is a significant decline in economic activity spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months. A depression is a much more severe, prolonged, and widespread downturn, often lasting years.
Yes, metaphorically. For example, in geology, 'glacial recession' refers to glaciers withdrawing. In general use, it can describe any period of withdrawal or decline.
It is usually countable. You can say 'a severe recession' or 'several recessions'.
It describes a situation where an economy enters a recession, begins to recover (briefly comes out of recession), and then quickly falls back into a second period of decline, forming a 'W' shape on economic charts.
Collections
Part of a collection
Economics Terms
B2 · 50 words · Key vocabulary for economics and financial systems.