ENGLISH
REFERENCE

recession

n. C / U
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˌɹiˈsɛʃən// UK //ɹɪsˈɛʃən// re·ces·sion General-service

n. a period of time when a country's economy is doing poorly. During this time, businesses make less money and many people lose their jobs.

n. a period of temporary economic decline during which trade and industrial activity are reduced, generally identified by a fall in GDP in two successive quarters.


SIMPLE

The country is currently in a deep recession.

CONTEXTUAL

During the last recession, many small businesses were forced to close because people stopped spending money on luxury items.

COMPLEX

Economists debated whether the aggressive interest rate hikes would successfully curb inflation or inadvertently trigger a prolonged recession that would take years to recover from.

Synonyms
Origin

Borrowed from Latin recessiō, from recēdō (“recede, retreat”), from re- (“back”) + cēdō (“to go”). By surface analysis, recess + -ion.

Usage

Often used with the verbs 'enter', 'trigger', or 'weather'; frequently preceded by the preposition 'in'.

Pitfall

The country is in recession of 2008The country is in the recession of 2008When referring to a specific historical instance of an economic decline, the definite article 'the' is required.

Idioms1 entry

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