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Intermittent vs Recurrent - What's the difference?

intermittent | recurrent |

As adjectives the difference between intermittent and recurrent

is that intermittent is stopping and starting at intervals; coming after a particular time span; not steady or constant while recurrent is recurring time after time.

As a noun intermittent

is an intermittent fever or disease.

intermittent

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Stopping and starting at intervals; coming after a particular time span; not steady or constant
    • The day was cloudy with intermittent rain.
    Intermittent bugs are most difficult to reproduce.
  • (specifically, geology, of a body of water) Existing only for certain seasons; that is, being dry for part of the year.
    • The area has many intermittent lakes and streams.

    Derived terms

    * intermittently

    Related terms

    * inter * inter- * intermittence * intermittency

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (medicine, dated) An intermittent fever or disease.
    • (Dunglison)
    ----

    recurrent

    English

    Adjective

    (wikipedia recurrent) (-)
  • Recurring time after time.
    • The patient complained of recurrent chest pain.
  • (mathematics, stochastic processes, of a state) non-transient.
  • Running back toward its origin.
    • a recurrent nerve or artery

    Synonyms

    * (math) persistent

    Related terms

    * quasirecurrent * recurrence

    Anagrams

    * ----