Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To return to a previous pattern of behavior, especially criminal conduct.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To fall back, relapse, or backslide; return to an abandoned course of conduct.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • intransitive verb obsolete To backslide; to fall again.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb intransitive To return to criminal behaviour; to relapse

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb go back to bad behavior

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[recidiv(ism) + –ate.]

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Examples

Comments

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  • Heard on NPR segment on prison reform. I like backslide better.

    September 14, 2007