- [countable, uncountable] a difficult time for the economy of a country, when there is less trade and industrial activity than usual and more people are unemployed
- How do you assess the impact of the current recession on manufacturing?
- in recession The economy is in deep recession.
- policies to pull the country out of recession
- These industries have been hard hit by recession.
Collocations The economyThe economyManaging the economy- handle/run/manage the economy
- boost investment/spending/employment/growth
- stimulate demand/the economy/industry
- cut/reduce investment/spending/borrowing
- reduce/curb/control/keep down inflation
- create/fuel growth/demand/a boom/a bubble
- encourage/foster/promote/stimulate/stifle innovation/competition
- encourage/work with/compete with the private sector
- increase/boost/promote US/agricultural exports
- ban/restrict/block cheap/foreign imports
- the economy grows/expands/shrinks/contracts/slows (down)/recovers/improves/is booming
- enjoy an economic/housing/property boom
- push up/drive up prices/costs/inflation
- damage/hurt/destroy industry/the economy
- cause/lead to/go into/avoid/escape recession
- experience/suffer a recession/downturn
- fight/combat inflation/deflation/unemployment
- cause/create inflation/poverty/unemployment
- create/burst a housing/stock market bubble
- cause/trigger a stock market crash/the collapse of the banking system
- face/be plunged into a financial/an economic crisis
- be caught in/experience cycles of boom and bust
- cut/reduce/slash/increase/double the defence/education/aid budget
- increase/boost/slash/cut public spending
- increase/put up/raise/cut/lower/reduce taxes
- raise/cut/lower/reduce interest rates
- ease/loosen/tighten monetary policy
- balance the (state/federal) budget
- achieve/maintain a balanced budget
- run a ($4 trillion) budget deficit/surplus
- impose taxes/austerity measures
Extra ExamplesTopics Moneyb2- As dozens of companies go out of business, others are riding out the recession.
- Germany was suffering a steep recession.
- It was the worst recession since the war.
- The country has been hit by recession.
- These reforms will only deepen the recession.
- With a recession looming, consumers are spending less.
Definitions on the go
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- [uncountable] (formal) the movement backwards of something from a previous position
- the gradual recession of the floodwater
Word Originmid 17th cent.: from Latin recessio(n-), from recess- ‘gone back’, from the verb recedere ‘go back’, from re- ‘back’ + cedere ‘go’.
Check pronunciation:
recession