as in offender
formal
a person who continues to commit crimes even after being caught and punished
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Recent Examples of recidivist
Within the Moreton Bay area, a penal settlement for colonial recidivists was founded at Brisbane, followed by other penal establishments at Ipswich and on Stradbroke Island.
—
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
19 Mar. 2026
Gerald Ford, who was President during the peak of the arson wave, publicly mentioned the Bronx just once, to go by the American Presidency Project, and that was to commend Merola’s office for locking up recidivists.
—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
18 Aug. 2025
Swafford, described by police as a recidivist, was charged with Grand Larceny Auto, Criminal Possession of Stolen Property, Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle and Obstructing Governmental Administration.
—
Greg Norman,
FOXNews.com,
12 Aug. 2025
Another inspection list recidivist in March, Sang’s is a member of Miami-Dade’s Wretched Restaurant Row, restaurants along 167th Street/163rd Street that have failed inspection, often with an earth’s core deep level of disgusting violations.
—
David J. Neal
updated August 8,
Miami Herald,
8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for recidivist
Britannica Editors,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
19 Mar. 2026
Gerald Ford, who was President during the peak of the arson wave, publicly mentioned the Bronx just once, to go by the American Presidency Project, and that was to commend Merola’s office for locking up recidivists.
—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
18 Aug. 2025
Swafford, described by police as a recidivist, was charged with Grand Larceny Auto, Criminal Possession of Stolen Property, Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle and Obstructing Governmental Administration.
—
Greg Norman,
FOXNews.com,
12 Aug. 2025
Another inspection list recidivist in March, Sang’s is a member of Miami-Dade’s Wretched Restaurant Row, restaurants along 167th Street/163rd Street that have failed inspection, often with an earth’s core deep level of disgusting violations.
—
David J. Neal
updated August 8,
Miami Herald,
8 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for recidivist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for recidivist
Noun
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Deputies responded to the area and identified an undisclosed number of juveniles as the offenders, officials said.
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Washington faces decisions about whether to sanction firms that engage in distillation, restrict the chips and cloud infrastructure that support it, and create legal safe harbors for American AI labs to share threat intelligence about offenders.
Noun
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What begins as a chance to escape the routine of his everyday life quickly spirals into a dangerous gathering of powerful criminals, old enemies, and unresolved loyalties.
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That creates the perfect opening for criminals.
Noun
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The Common Law principles that shape sentencing are about accountability for the lawbreaker’s actions.
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Rollins is running for a job in justice, ostensibly to uphold the law and hold lawbreakers accountable.
Noun
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The Northern Neck Regional Jail, where Paul Manafort will spend at least the next three months while awaiting trial, has the outward appearance of being a small local jail holding street thugs and assorted misdemeanants.
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The Northern Neck Regional Jail, where Paul Manafort will spend at least the next three months while awaiting trial, has the outward appearance of being a small local jail holding street thugs and assorted misdemeanants.
Cite this Entry
“Recidivist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/recidivist. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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