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
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The reader is always right there with the character, suspended in a static moment of thought or trapped within their recursive stream of consciousness, circling revelation without ever arriving there. Robert Rubsam, The Atlantic, 24 Mar. 2025 With recursive learning approaches and responsible model development, policymakers can course-correct diplomatic biases and align AI agents with evolving geopolitical realities. Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 21 Feb. 2025 OpenAI’s reasoning models include a recursive loop that refines their outputs during inference. Craig S. Smith, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025 Proof Aggregation Through a process of recursive aggregation, multiple zk-proofs are compressed into a single, compact proof. Ayush Gupta, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for recursive

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

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Cite this Entry

“Recursive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recursive. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

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