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recursive

Relating to or involving a process that refers back to itself or repeats a pattern within itself. / In mathematics and computer science, defined in terms of itself, typically by a function that calls itself as a subroutine.
Adjective
comp: more recursivesup: most recursive

This term describes a self-referential loop where the output of a process becomes the input for the next iteration. It evokes a sense of infinite nesting or a mirror reflecting another mirror, creating a structural pattern that repeats at smaller and smaller scales.

While primarily a technical term in computer science and linguistics, it is used in art and philosophy to describe systems that contain a version of themselves. It differs from simple repetition by requiring that the repetition occurs within the original structure rather than merely following it.

Meanings

Adjective

Relating to or involving a process that refers back to itself or repeats a pattern within itself.

The artist created a recursive image of a room containing a painting of the same room.

Adjective

In mathematics and computer science, defined in terms of itself, typically by a function that calls itself as a subroutine.

A recursive algorithm is often used to solve problems that can be broken down into smaller, identical sub-problems.

Examples

The programmer wrote a recursive function to traverse the file directory.

Office

I wonder if the universe is recursive in nature.

You need a base case to prevent the recursive call from running forever.

School Life

The mirror reflecting another mirror creates a recursive image.

Is this algorithm recursive or iterative?

Office

The plot of the movie is recursive, ending exactly where it began.

We can solve this mathematical problem using a recursive formula.

School Life

The logic feels recursive, like a loop that never ends.

He explained the concept of recursive nesting in linguistics.

School Life

Related Words

recurrentrepetitiveiterativelinearnon-recursiverecursionalgorithmloopfunctionself-referentialstacknesting
Last Updated: May 2026Report an Error