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re·ces·sion 1 (rĭ-sĕshən)
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n.
1. The fact or action of moving away or back, especially:
a. The erosion of a cliff or headland from a given point, as from the action of a waterfall.
b. The reduction of a glacier from a point of advancement.
c. The motion of celestial objects away from one another in an expanding universe.
2. A significant period of economic decline from the peak to the trough of a business cycle, characterized by decreasing aggregate output and often by rising unemployment.
3. The withdrawal in a line or file of participants in a ceremony, especially clerics and choir members after a church service.
[Latin recessiō, recessiōn-, from recessus, past participle of recēdere, to recede; see RECEDE1.]
re·cession·ar′y adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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