Imagine you are a principal investigator setting up a lab meeting in your calendar. You notice the option to make this meeting a ‘recurring’ one. You recognize the term. But then, you start to wonder if another similar sounding term ‘reoccurring’ means the same. You take a moment to recollect the instances where the words ‘recurring’ and ‘reoccurring’ were used; only to realize that these words are not confined to the context of calendar meetings.
Difference Between Recurring and Reoccurring
Very often, the words ‘recur’ and ‘reoccur’ are misunderstood to be interchangeable. Let’s take a closer look into their meanings to better appreciate their difference.
- Recurring refers to something that happens regularly. It implies that the event is repeated consistently.
- Reoccurring refers to something that can happen again, but without the implication of a regular schedule. It could be something that happens/has happened more than once, but without a predictable pattern.
This subtle difference is crucial when you want to convey whether an event is happening on a set timeline or simply occurring more than once.
Meaning of “Recur”
The root word for recur is the Latin word recurrere. This means, ‘to return’ or ‘to run back’. True to its origin, the word ‘recur’ in modern English refers to something that happens repeatedly at specified intervals.
Meaning of “Reoccur”
The word ‘reoccur’ gets its meaning from the words it is made of — ‘Re’ meaning again, and ‘occur’ meaning ‘happen’. Hence, ‘reoccur’ meaning something that happens again.
Examples of Recurring and Reoccurring
Recurring:
- Nature: The change in different phases of moon is a recurring event.
- Medicine: You are advised to do an annually recurring full-body check-up with your medical provider.
Reoccurring:
- Nature: Earthquakes may reoccur in an area.
- Medicine: Your fever might reoccur even after taking some medication
Note: In both these examples, ‘recur’ implies regular, repetitive events that happen at a specified interval and ‘reoccur’ indicates that the event happens more than once, but there’s no set expectation of it repeating regularly.
When to Use Recurring or Reoccurring
In order to identify when to use the words ‘recurring’ or ‘reoccurring’, one has to:
- Understand the meanings of the words
- Understand if the event happens more than one time
- If yes, proceed with the next point
- If no, do not use the words ‘recurring’ or ‘reoccurring’ to describe your event
- Understand whether the event is said to repeat in a consistent fashion or not
- If yes, use ‘recurring’
- If no, use ‘reoccurring’
- Use the word “recurring” when you’re talking about something that happens regularly or on a schedule.
- Use the word “reoccurring” when you you’re talking about something that happens again but not on a consistent schedule.
Remembering the Difference Between ‘Recur’ and ‘Reoccur’
A quick tip to remember the meanings of the words ‘recur’ and ‘reoccur’: Focus on what follows ‘re’
- Recur implies a cycle, something that happens again and again on a predictable schedule.
- Reoccur simply means to happen again, without the cyclical implication.
You can also think of recurring events as something that might go on your calendar — like recurring meetings — while reoccurring events are those that are not typically scheduled to happen at a certain interval.
Test Your Understanding
Test your understanding with this quick poll on ‘recurring’ vs ‘reoccurring’:
- Trinka posts articles every month on a ______ basis
Options: recurring vs reoccurring
- At times, certain medical issues _______ despite taking the necessary measures
Options: recur or reoccur
Understanding the difference between ‘recurring’ and ‘reoccurring’ can prevent common writing errors and improve clarity in your communication. However, writers can consider using AI assistants like Trinka Grammar Checker and AI Writing Assistant to improve clarity, and readability of their written work.