recrudescence: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal, Academic, Medical, Literary
Quick answer
What does “recrudescence” mean?
A renewed outbreak or recurrence of something undesirable, especially a disease, conflict, or problem.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A renewed outbreak or recurrence of something undesirable, especially a disease, conflict, or problem.
A sudden reappearance or increase in intensity of a phenomenon that had previously subsided or been controlled, often with negative connotations.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or usage. Slightly more common in British medical and journalistic contexts.
Connotations
Equally formal and negative in both varieties.
Frequency
Very low frequency in both, but marginally higher in UK English due to historical medical literature.
Grammar
How to Use “recrudescence” in a Sentence
recrudescence of [NOUN PHRASE (problem/disease)]experience a recrudescencesee a recrudescencelead to a recrudescenceVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “recrudescence” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The infection may recrudesce if the treatment course is not completed.
- Fears that sectarian tensions could recrudesce.
American English
- The patient's symptoms recrudesced after a period of remission.
- The conflict recrudesced along the border.
adverb
British English
- The disease appeared recrudescently.
- Violence flared recrudescently in the province.
American English
- Symptoms returned recrudescently.
- The ideology spread recrudescently through online forums.
adjective
British English
- The recrudescent fever required immediate attention.
- They faced a recrudescent wave of nationalist sentiment.
American English
- A recrudescent strain of the virus was identified.
- The region dealt with recrudescent violence.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. Might be used metaphorically: 'The merger talks saw a recrudescence of old disputes.'
Academic
Common in medical, epidemiological, historical, and political science texts to describe the return of diseases, conflicts, or ideologies.
Everyday
Extremely rare. Would sound overly formal or pretentious.
Technical
Standard in clinical medicine (e.g., malaria recrudescence) and conflict studies.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “recrudescence”
Neutral
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “recrudescence”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “recrudescence”
- Using it for positive events (e.g., 'a recrudescence of happiness').
- Confusing it with 'resurgence', which can be neutral or positive.
- Misspelling as 'recrudence' or 'recrudescense'.
- Using it in informal speech.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is almost exclusively used for negative phenomena like disease, conflict, or problems. Using it for positive events is a mistake.
'Recurrence' is a general, neutral term for something happening again. 'Recrudescence' is more specific and formal, implying a sudden, often severe, outbreak of something bad that had subsided.
No, it is a low-frequency, formal word. It is most common in technical fields like medicine, epidemiology, and political analysis.
Yes, the verb is 'to recrudesce'. However, it is even rarer than the noun and used almost exclusively in technical writing.
A renewed outbreak or recurrence of something undesirable, especially a disease, conflict, or problem.
Recrudescence is usually formal, academic, medical, literary in register.
Recrudescence: in British English it is pronounced /ˌriːkruːˈdes(ə)ns/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌrikruˈdɛs(ə)ns/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None specific to this word.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'CRUDe' violence or disease REturns. RE-CRUDE-scence.
Conceptual Metaphor
DISEASE/VIOLENCE IS A FIRE (that flares up again). A PROBLEM IS A DORMANT SEED (that sprouts again).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the use of 'recrudescence' MOST appropriate?