recursive

adjective

re·​cur·​sive ri-ˈkər-siv How to pronounce recursive (audio)
1
: of, relating to, or involving recursion
a recursive function in a computer program
2
: of, relating to, or constituting a procedure that can repeat itself indefinitely
a recursive rule in a grammar
recursively adverb
recursiveness noun

Examples of recursive in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The program corresponds to a recursive function similar to the one from the Collatz conjecture, one of the biggest unsolved problems in number theory. Manon Bischoff, Scientific American, 25 July 2024 This would attract more users, which would in turn further improve its search engine in a recursive cycle of learning and expansion. Paul Starr, Foreign Affairs, 10 Oct. 2019 But watching my son take pleasure in watching this thing that has given me so much pleasure was, in the recursive loop that is parenting, a pleasure in itself. Vulture Editors, Vulture, 11 June 2024 The stub resolver forwards the query to a recursive resolver, which may be provided by the user's ISP or a service such as 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8 from Cloudflare and Google, respectively. Dan Goodin, Ars Technica, 23 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for recursive 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'recursive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

earlier, "recurring repeatedly," from Latin recursus, past participle of recurrere "to run back, run in the opposite direction, return" + -ive; in given senses as translation of German rekurrent or rekursiv — more at recur

First Known Use

1934, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of recursive was in 1934

Dictionary Entries Near recursive

Cite this Entry

“Recursive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recursive. Accessed 11 Oct. 2024.

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