noun

recession

rih-SESH-un/rɪˈseʃn/

A movement backward or withdrawal from an earlier position.

The downward line records a recession from the workshop's earlier output.

A compact economic downturn vignette: a quiet workshop has idle workbenches and stacked unsold plain products, proprietor looks worried beside a window, one small chart on desk shows a descending line only, no axes labels or statistics.

Etymology

reLatinback

+cessLatingo; withdraw

+ionLatinaction or process

The pieces express a “going back,” an image of economic activity retreating from its previous level. The economic use probably arose from recess and carried a euphemistic suggestion of a temporary setback.

In context

FRONTLINE PBS | Official5:55

… getting mixed signals about the economy is it down for recession or is it in a booming recovery …

Age of Easy Money (full documentary) | FRONTLINE

More examples

The recession of the floodwaters reveals the damaged road.
Gum recession can leave the roots of teeth exposed.
Old maps show the shoreline's recession over the past century.

Forms

recession · recessions

recede verb — To move backward from an earlier position.

Similar words

retreat: Often suggests movement away from danger, pressure, or opposition.
withdrawal: Often suggests deliberate removal rather than gradual backward movement.