recursive

English

Etymology

Taken from the stem of Latin recursus. Equivalent to recurs +‎ -ive

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ɹɪˈkɜː(ɹ)sɪv/

• Audio (UK)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)sɪv

Adjective

Examples (function)
The factorial function - $f(0)=1$ $f(n)=n\times f(n-1)$ where n is any natural number greater than 0

recursive (comparative more recursive, superlative most recursive)

1. drawing upon itself, referring back.

   The recursive nature of stories which borrow from each other

2. (mathematics, not comparable) of an expression, each term of which is determined by applying a formula to preceding terms
3. (computing, not comparable) of a program or function that calls itself
4. (computing theory, not comparable, of a function) which can be computed by a theoretical model of a computer, in a finite amount of time
5. (computing theory, not comparable, of a set) whose characteristic function is recursive (4)

Antonyms

• non-recursive

Hypernyms

• (of a set, whose characteristic function is recursive): recursively enumerable

Hyponyms

• (of a function): primitive recursive, tail recursive

Derived terms

• co-recursive
• recursive acronym
• recursive conundrum
• recursively
• recursiveness

Related terms

English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *ḱers-‎ (0 c, 43 e)

Translations

drawing upon itself

• Dutch: recursief (nl)
• Finnish: itseään toistava
• French: récursif (fr)
• German: rekursiv (de)

• Greek: επαναλαμβανόμενος (el) m (epanalamvanómenos), επανερχόμενος m (epanerchómenos), αναδρομικός (el) m (anadromikós)
• Portuguese: recursivo (pt)
• Spanish: recursivo (es) m
• Ukrainian: рекурси́вний (rekursývnyj)

mathematics: of an expression, in which each term is determined by applying a formula to preceding terms

• Czech: rekurzivní
• Dutch: recursief (nl)
• Finnish: rekursiivinen
• French: récursif (fr)
• German: rekursiv (de)

• Greek: αναδρομικός (el) m (anadromikós)
• Polish: rekurencyjny m
• Portuguese: recursivo (pt)
• Spanish: iteractivo m, recurrente (es) m or f

computing: of a program or function that calls itself

• Arabic: please add this translation if you can
• Armenian: please add this translation if you can
• Czech: rekurzivní
• Dutch: recursief (nl)
• Esperanto: please add this translation if you can
• Finnish: rekursiivinen
• French: récursif (fr)
• German: rekursiv (de)

• Greek: αναδρομικός (el) m (anadromikós)
• Hungarian: rekurzív (hu)
• Japanese: please add this translation if you can
• Polish: rekurencyjny m
• Portuguese: recursivo (pt)
• Romanian: recursiv (ro)
• Russian: please add this translation if you can
• Spanish: recursivo (es)
• Thai: please add this translation if you can

computing: of a function which can be computed in a finite amount of time

• Dutch: recursief (nl)
• Finnish: rekursiivinen
• German: rekursiv (de)

• Greek: αναδρομικός (el) m (anadromikós)
• Persian: بازگشتی‎ (fa)
• Portuguese: recursivo (pt)

computing: of a set whose characteristic function is recursive

• Dutch: recursief (nl)
• Finnish: rekursiivinen
• French: récursif (fr)

• German: rekursiv (de)
• Greek: αναδρομικός (el) m (anadromikós)
• Serbo-Croatian: rekurzivan (sh)

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Translations to be checked

• French: ^{(please verify)} récursif (fr)

• Serbo-Croatian: ^{(please verify)} rekurzivan (sh)

See also

• recursive on Wikipedia.Wikipedia