Kenneth G. Wilson (1923–). The Columbia Guide to Standard American English. 1993.
recrudescence (n.)
in its literal sense means “the breaking out again of a disease, an infection, or some other medical unpleasantness,” and it is Standard in such use. Figuratively it also is applied to the rebirth or reestablishment of anything unpleasant (the recrudescence of racial hatred, for example). It’s a very low frequency word at best, and Edited English restricts it to pejorative uses; you would do well to do the same on the rare occasions when you use it.
