recidivist
Noun
Meaning
someone who lapses into previous undesirable patterns of behavior
someone who is repeatedly arrested for criminal behavior (especially for the same criminal behavior)
Source: WordNetSynonyms
repeater
backslider
reversionist
habitual criminal
convert
criminal
prisoner
recurrent
recessive
lapsed
offender
renegade
felon
deserter
pervert
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Antonyms
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Examples
A man described as a recidivist offender was convicted and sentenced to five months in prison during last week’s criminal court session.
Among paramilitaries and guerrillas who demobilized in the past decade, the recidivist rate has been about 24%, according to the Organization of American States.