n.
Pronunciation: -vist
Function: noun
Etymology: French récidiviste, from récidiver to relapse, from Middle French, from Medieval Latin recidivare, from Latin recidivus recurring, from recidere to fall back, from re- + cadere to fall ― more at CHANCE
Date: 1880
: one who relapses specifically : a habitual criminal
– recidivist adjective
– re · cid · i · vis · tic \ - ˌ si-d ə - ' vis-tik \ adjective