re ‧ cid ‧ i ‧ vist /rɪˈsɪdəvəst, rɪˈsɪdɪvəst/ BrE AmE noun [countable] technical
[ Date: 1800-1900 ; Language: French ; Origin: récidiviste , from récidiver 'to go back to bad behavior' , from Latin recidere , from cadere 'to fall' ]
a criminal who starts doing illegal things again, even after he or she has been punished
—recidivism noun [uncountable]