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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
What actually gets you closer to AGI is sparking recursive self-improvement by building really good coding models and then turning them back on themselves. — Nilay Patel, The Verge, 26 Oct. 2026 In a June 2026 paper titled When AI Builds Itself, Anthropic warned that the recursive loop has moved from science fiction to operational reality faster than the company itself expected. — Stephen Messer, Fortune, 23 Oct. 2026 But then the story stalls, zeroes in on some incidental detail, and collapses into a mode of reflection that is circular and recursive. — Meghan O’Gieblyn, The New York Review of Books, 17 Oct. 2026 The tight loop between capital, asset issuing, and auction-as-legitimizing-engine echoed Polymarket’s recursive news-and-market-making cycle. — Simon Denny, Artforum, 1 Oct. 2026 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

Rhymes for recursive

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Browse Nearby Words

recursion
recursive
recursive definition
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Cite this Entry

“Recursive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/recursive. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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