What does "recession" mean?
The act or an instance of receding or withdrawing.
Recession
/ɹɪˈsɛʃn̩/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The act or an instance of receding or withdrawing.
- Grammar: recession is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: abandonment, alcove, backset, backsliding.
- Useful contrasts: economic rise, economic vitality, macroeconomic measure.
- Usage evidence: Recession is a temporary falling off of business activity during a period when such activity is generally increasing.
How to use "recession"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "recession" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "recession" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "recession" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "recession" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "recession" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "abandonment" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "recession", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The act or an instance of receding or withdrawing. countable, uncountable
"[…]that light may break forth from the deepest enclosures of darkness, and mercy may rejoice upon the recessions of justice, and grace may triumph upon the ruin of sin, and God may be glorified in the miracles of our conversion, and the wonders of our preservation and glories of our being saved."
- 2 the act of becoming more distant wordnet
- 3 A period of low temperatures that causes a reduction in species; ice age. countable, uncountable
"Eastward in Bosnia, while the central European clime prevails, the thermic gradient does not follow the recession in the north latitude, but the elevation of the terrain."
- 4 the act of ceding back wordnet
- 5 A period of reduced economic activity. countable, uncountable
"Statisticians often define a recession as negative real GDP growth during two consecutive quarters."
Show 6 more definitions
- 6 the withdrawal of the clergy and choir from the chancel to the vestry at the end of a church service wordnet
- 7 The ceremonial filing out of clergy and/or choir at the end of a church service. countable, uncountable
- 8 a small concavity wordnet
- 9 The act of ceding something back. countable, uncountable
- 10 the state of the economy declines; a widespread decline in the GDP and employment and trade lasting from six months to a year wordnet
- 11 A procedure in which an extraocular muscle is detached from the globe of the eye and reattached posteriorly. countable, uncountable
"Bilateral medial rectus muscle recession when angle is stable. Controversy exists regarding optimal timing of surgery. If greater than 40 prism diopter esotropia, some recommend bimedial recession with resection of one lateral rectus muscle."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
economic riseeconomic vitalitymacroeconomic measurerapid growth
Example
"Recession is a temporary falling off of business activity during a period when such activity is generally increasing."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "recession"?
Common synonyms include: abandonment, alcove, backset, backsliding, backward motion, backward step.
How do you use "recession" in a sentence?
Recession is a temporary falling off of business activity during a period when such activity is generally increasing.
How do you pronounce "recession"?
Pronounced /ɹɪˈsɛʃn̩/.
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin recessiō, from recēdō (“recede, retreat”), from re- (“back”) + cēdō (“to go”). By surface analysis, recess + -ion.