recursive

adjective

re·​cur·​sive ri-ˈkər-siv 

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

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

Once again, this recursive grouping guaranteed the existence of a unique infinite hierarchy of substitutions that forced all unreflected (single-handed) tilings to be nonperiodic. —Craig S. Kaplan, Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2024

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