recessive

C1 Topic:Describing Qualities

US /ɹɪˈsɛsɪv/ See IPA manual

Freq #58296

Meanings

1

adj
Describing a gene whose effect only appears when both inherited copies carry it; the opposite of dominant.

Blue eyes are caused by a recessive gene, so both parents must carry it.
2

adj
Not dominant; having an effect that is hidden or overshadowed by something stronger.

In their partnership his quieter, more recessive personality balanced her forceful one.
3

noun
A gene or trait that only shows up when paired with an identical recessive one.

The disorder is passed on as a recessive, so it can skip generations.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

3 noun · a gene or trait that only... recessive allele

Opposites

dominant

Word family

Forms recessives

Derived forms immunorecessivenonrecessiverecessivelyrecessivenesssemirecessive

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

recessive gene
a gene variant whose effect is usually masked when a dominant variant is present

Adjective + noun

Etymology

From Latin recēdō + -ive, or directly from New Latin recessīvus.

recēdō Latin recessīvus la-new

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Describing Qualities Biology & Genetics Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# recessive

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C1
**Part of speech:** adj, noun
**IPA (US):** /ɹɪˈsɛsɪv/
**Frequency rank:** 58296

## Meanings
1. Describing a gene whose effect only appears when both inherited copies carry it; the opposite of dominant.
2. Not dominant; having an effect that is hidden or overshadowed by something stronger.
3. A gene or trait that only shows up when paired with an identical recessive one.

## Examples
- Blue eyes are caused by a recessive gene, so both parents must carry it.
- In their partnership his quieter, more recessive personality balanced her forceful one.
- The disorder is passed on as a recessive, so it can skip generations.

## Antonyms
- dominant

## Derived Forms
- immunorecessive
- nonrecessive
- recessively
- recessiveness
- semirecessive

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: recēdō
- Root: recessīvus

## Etymology
From Latin recēdō + -ive, or directly from New Latin recessīvus.

## AI Etymology
Recessive is from Latin recēdō + -ive, or directly from New Latin recessīvus. In present-day use, it can mean describing a gene whose effect only appears when both inherited copies carry it; the opposite of dominant, or not dominant; having an effect that is hidden or overshadowed by something stronger. Derived formations include immunorecessive, nonrecessive, recessively, recessiveness, and semirecessive.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities
- Biology & Genetics
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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