recursive

C2+ Topic:Technology & Computing

US /rɪˈkɝsɪv/ UK /rɪˈkɜːsɪv/ See IPA manual

adj

Meanings

1

adj
characterized by repeated application of a rule, defined in terms of itself

The function uses a recursive call to traverse the entire tree.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adj · characterized by repeated... iterativerepetitiveself-referential

Opposites

terminating finite

Word family

Derived forms recursivelyrecursivenessrecursion

Related forms recur recurrent recurrence cursor

Etymology

From Latin recursus ('a running back, return'), past participle of recurrere ('to run back'), from re- ('back') + currere ('to run'), + -ive.

re- Latin recurrere Latin currere Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Technology & Computing Word Formation & Derivatives

# recursive

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** adj
**IPA (US):** rɪˈkɝsɪv
**IPA (UK):** rɪˈkɜːsɪv

## Meanings
1. characterized by repeated application of a rule, defined in terms of itself

## Examples
- The function uses a recursive call to traverse the entire tree.

## Synonyms
- iterative
- repetitive
- self-referential

## Antonyms
- terminating
- finite

## Derived Forms
- recursively
- recursiveness
- recursion

## Related Forms
- recur
- recurrent
- recurrence
- cursor

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: re-
- Root: recurrere
- Root: currere

## Etymology
From Latin recursus ('a running back, return'), past participle of recurrere ('to run back'), from re- ('back') + currere ('to run'), + -ive.

## AI Etymology
Recursive comes from Latin recursus ('a running back, return'), past participle of recurrere ('to run back'), from re- ('back') + currere ('to run'), + -ive. The historical chain includes Latin re-, Latin recurrere, and Latin currere. Older glosses in the chain include "a running back, return", "to run back", "back", and "to run", which help explain the semantic range of the modern word. Morphologically, recursive is best read as compound, suffixal formation, and borrowing, yielding an English adjective shaped by both form history and later usage. In current English it functions as an adjective, with the sense "characterized by repeated application of a rule, defined in terms of itself". English derivatives include recursively, recursiveness, and recursion; related forms include recur, recurrent, recurrence, and cursor. The result is an English adjective whose etymology preserves the older forms while supporting the word's specialized modern meaning.

## Topics
- Technology & Computing
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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