recidivist

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recidivist

/ɹɪˈsɪdɪvɪst/
/ɹɪˈsɪdəvɪst/

Where it comes from

From French récidiviste, from Latin recidīvus (“returning, recurring”). Compare recidivous, -ist. By surface analysis, recidive + -ist.

noun recidivists

One who falls back into prior habits, especially criminal habits. This specimen was of English parentage, was a professional burglar, a confirmed recidivist, and—since he habitually carried firearms—a potential homicide.
Similar: repeat offender

adjective more recidivist · most recidivist

Tending to fall back into prior habits, especially criminal habits. To return to Macbeth, I should like to note another psychological intuition of [William] Shakespeare’s, which is that women commit fewer crimes than men; but when they commit them they are more cruel and more obstinately recidivist than men. Lady Macbeth, for example, is more inhumanly ferocious tha
Similar: recidive, recidivous

Translations

Every language

noun one who falls back into prior habits, especially criminal habits

Español	reincidente
Português	reincidente, recidivista
Français	récidiviste
Deutsch	Wiederholungstäter, Wiederholungstäterin
Italiano	recidivo
Русский	рецидиви́ст recidivíst, рецидиви́стка recidivístka

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Cite this

MLA

"recidivist." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/recidivist. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

recidivist. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/recidivist

Chicago

"recidivist." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/recidivist.

BibTeX

@misc{recidivist_2026,
  title = {recidivist},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/recidivist},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}