-sion, -sions

1. An individual’s contemplation of what to do if something occurs: In planning the extended trip to several foreign countries, Aaron spent time in provision, thinking about possible situations and how he would respond to them.
2. Preparatory actions: The tour guide undertook all the provisions necessary to escort a group of older visitors to his country, ensuring that the hotel reservations and transportation arrangements were complete.
3. A stock of necessary supplies; especially, food: The hikers in the mountains took enough provisions with them to last the entire trip.
4. A stipulation or qualification; particularly, a clause in a document or agreement: The land purchase forms which the new owners signed included a provision which allowed the former owner to keep her cows in the barn for the next three months.
5. A situation in which there is sufficient replenishment of necessities and materials: The pharmaceutical company supplied all the provisions that were essential to keep the hospital functioning safely for at least a month.

The act of re-entering into or returning to a location: After taking a year off from school to work, Azura applied for readmission to the university, confident that she could afford the fees and do all the required class assignments.

1. A period, shorter than an economic depression, during which there is a decline in commercial trade and prosperity: Many people have lost their jobs during the recent recession.

A recession is considered by some economists as the period between when financial conditions have reached their peaks and then declined to their lowest levels.

2. The withdrawal of participants in a ceremony: The clergy and the choir left in a recession after the church service.
3. The process of going back or becoming more distant: The people in the community were happy to see the recession of the floodwaters.

1. The return of something over and over again: According to Laura's doctor, she had recursions of coughing which he diagnosed was caused by smoking too much.
2. In computer programming, a process of defining a program, a function, a routine, or a procedure in terms of itself: Manfred used a function of recursion from within the same operation to compute a given series of whole numbers.
3. Etymology: from late Latin recursion; literally, "a running back"; from Latin recurs-, the past participle stem of recurrere, "to run back, to run again".

The process by which an individual changes his or her behavior, thoughts, or language from a previous state of development to something not as mature: Due to the frightening trauma experienced by Leslie as a teen and subsequent regressions while she was talking, her verbal expressions made her sound much younger and frail.

1. A lessening of the symptoms of a disease, or their temporary reduction or disappearance: Three years after being diagnosed with the illness, the doctor was able to tell Billy Travers that his sickness was in remission and he could live like a typical teenager again.
2. A decrease or a reduction in the severity of something: The afternoon sun beat down with remission when the rain clouds came.
3. A release from a debt, a penalty, or an obligation: The bank officials notified the farmer of the remission that was granted by the financial institution that had his mortgage so now he knows that he has full ownership of the property.
4. A pardon or forgiveness: The governor of the state granted a remission to the person who had been incarcerated for 20 years and who had developed a marvelous research project involving small animals while he was serving his time in the prison.

1. An unforeseen problem that results from a particular action: The repercussions of the quarrel between the two politicians on TV were widespread and affected a lot of people for a long time.

The mayor was asked if he was aware of the repercussions which could take place if his proposal that taxes should be increased actually becomes law.

2. The rebounding of a force after an impact: The repercussion of the blast could be heard for miles. © ALL rights are reserved.

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A creditor's taking of property that has been pledged as collateral for a loan: Since Jim could not continue his payments on the debt of his house, the bank made a repossession of the property and so he had to move away.

An act of criticism and condemnation: Theresa was called into the principal's office at school where she experienced a reprehension regarding her unexcused absences and for being tardy to class so often.

1. The process of suppressing one's emotional responses to situations or memories as a way of protecting himself or herself from what had happened previously: Dr. Harrison, a child development specialist, was concerned about the depth of repression that she was seeing in her patient who had witnessed a terrible car crash in which the child's parents had been killed.
2. A condition in which political, social, or cultural freedom is restricted or controlled by force: The human rights activists were intent on bringing public attention to the repressions of the children in the tightly governed country.

1. An intense dislike for something which may bring about a physical response; such as, holding one's nose because of an odor: Beatrice experienced a strong repulsion for the man who came to the homeless shelter where she worked as a volunteer, but then she noticed how kind the man was with his dog and so she had a more positive attitude about him.
2. An act of pushing someone or something away: When Jane's dog got all muddy and tried to jump up so she could pet it, her reaction was one of repulsion in order to avoid getting all dirty, too.

1. In law, the cancellation or termination of a contract and the return of the parties to the positions they would have had if the contract had not been made: Rescission may be brought about by a court order or by the mutual consent of the parties who are involved.
2. Etymology: from Latin resciss- from rescindere, "to cancel, to repeal"; from re-, "back" + scindere, "to cut, to split."

1. An action that involves giving something back to a person; such as, land or a territory: The local tribal groups petitioned the government for an act of retrocede, to return their traditional property to the governance of the Native councils.
2. A move back or away from a limit, a point, or a mark: The community was hoping that there would be a retrocede of the floodwaters that have caused so much damage.
3. Etymology: from Latin retrocedere, "to go back" from retro-, "back" + cedere, "to go".

1: A reversal or return to a previous condition: After a period of  barking, Pretty Boy, Nicole's favorite spaniel, demonstrated a retrocession and stopped making the loud noise and curled up to go back to sleep.
2. A medical condition that reveals the signs of an illness, previously noted on the outside of a patient, that begin to appear internally: The large cancerous sore on Monica's forearm seemed to be getting smaller; however, the oncologist informed her that there appeared to be evidence that a  retrocession of the disease was developing on some of her other body parts.

1. The act or process of deteriorating or declining: The sociologists noted the appearance of retrogression in the compassionate behavior of the population after the takeover of the government by right wing patriots.
2. A return to a former and to a less complex level of development or organization: The marine biologists were astonished to note the retrogression in many of the smaller life forms in their study of tidal pool organisms over a period of many years.
3. Etymology: from Latin retrogressus, past participle of retrogradi, "to move backward"; from retro-, "backward" + gradi, "to go, to step".