Skip to content

Rückfall

relapse, reoffending

noun RUEK-fal Rare
People & Society Crime

Also means

recidivism

Usage Note

Rückfall in a legal context means committing a further offence after a prior conviction; a Rückfalltäter (recidivist) typically faces harsher sentencing, and a Rückfall can trigger revocation of a suspended sentence.

Examples

"Nach dem Rückfall wurde seine Bewährung widerrufen."

Natural Translation

After the relapse his probation was revoked.

Literal Translation

After the relapse was his probation revoked.

Free starter pack

Building your German vocabulary?

Get the 100 most common German words as a free PDF — one email, no spam.

Explore German by topic