Meaning & use
Recidivists
Last updated
people who repeatedly relapse into criminal behavior, especially after being punished or treated for it
See it in a sentence
The program targets recidivists, offering job training to reduce repeat offenses.
Judges are often stricter when sentencing known recidivists.
A note on using this word
Comes from Latin "recidivus," falling back; "recidivism," the related noun for the pattern of reoffending itself, is a key statistic in criminal justice research.
Words with a similar meaning
repeat offendershabitual offenders
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
first-time offenders
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