A more thorough explanation:

A recidivist is someone who is a habitual criminal or a repeat offender. This means that they have been convicted of a crime before and have committed another crime after being released from prison or serving their sentence.

• John was arrested for theft for the third time this year. He is a recidivist.
• Samantha has been in and out of jail for drug-related offenses. She is a recidivist.
• Mark was convicted of assault and served his sentence. However, he committed the same crime again and is now considered a recidivist.

These examples illustrate the definition of a recidivist because each person has been convicted of a crime before and has committed another crime after being released or serving their sentence. They are repeat offenders and have a pattern of criminal behavior.