Main Entry: ¹re·ces·sive

Pronunciation: \ri-ˈse-siv\

Function: adjective

Date: circa 1673

1 a : tending to recede b : withdrawn 2
2 a : producing little or no phenotypic effect when occurring in heterozygous condition with a contrasting allele <recessive genes> b : expressed only when the determining gene is in the homozygous condition <recessive traits> <a recessive disease>

— re·ces·sive·ly adverb

— re·ces·sive·ness noun