Meaning & use
recurring pattern
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Meanings
nouncountable
a sequence of events or actions that happens again and again in the same way
Grammar: Countable; use 'a recurring pattern' or 'recurring patterns'. Often followed by 'of': a recurring pattern of behavior.
Patterns
- a recurring pattern of something
- a recurring pattern in something
- show a recurring pattern
The data show a recurring pattern of sales peaks every December.
Her therapist noticed a recurring pattern in her relationships.
There is a recurring pattern of violence in the region every summer.
nouncountabletechnical
a repeated design or arrangement, especially in art, nature, or mathematics
Grammar: Countable and often used in technical contexts. Can be followed by 'in': a recurring pattern in the tiles.
Patterns
- a recurring pattern in something
- a recurring pattern on something
The wallpaper has a recurring pattern of small blue flowers.
Mathematicians study recurring patterns in number sequences.
You can see a recurring pattern in the way the branches grow.
Word forms
| plural | recurring patterns |
|---|
Common combinations
- a recurring pattern of behavior
- The teacher was worried by a recurring pattern of behavior in the class.
- a recurring pattern in the data
- We found a recurring pattern in the data that suggested a seasonal effect.
- show a recurring pattern
- The patient's symptoms show a recurring pattern every few weeks.
- break a recurring pattern
- It took years to break the recurring pattern of debt.
- a recurring pattern of events
- Historians noticed a recurring pattern of events after each drought.
Synonyms and how they differ
- cycle
- A cycle is a single complete sequence that repeats; a recurring pattern may not have a fixed length or clear stages.
- trend
- A trend is a general direction of change over time, not necessarily a repeated sequence.
- routine
- A routine is a fixed way of doing things, often deliberately; a recurring pattern can be unintentional.
Commonly confused: recurring pattern or recurrent?
recurring pattern vs recurrent
Recurrent is an adjective meaning 'happening again'; recurring is the -ing form of the verb 'recur' used as an adjective. You say 'a recurring pattern' or 'a recurrent problem', but not 'a recurrent pattern' is less common.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'recurring pattern' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 0 uses 'in a recurring pattern' to describe a repeated event. Option 1 uses 'to' incorrectly; option 2 needs 'a' and 'of' but the structure is wrong; option 3 uses 'was happened', which is not grammatical.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “recurring pattern”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.