Word
recursion
Phoneticsre·cur·sion
Definitions
01self-reference in logic or math
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Mathematics Technical · Academic
n. the act of defining something by using the thing itself.
n. the process of defining an object, function, or concept in terms of itself, typically requiring a base case to prevent infinite loops.
“The teacher used the Fibonacci sequence to explain the concept of recursion.”
“In formal logic, recursion allows for the construction of an infinite set of sentences from a finite set of rules and symbols.”
Usage
Often used as an uncountable noun when discussing the abstract concept.
Synonyms
02programming procedure
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Computing Technical
n. when a computer program calls or runs itself to solve a smaller part of a problem.
n. the invocation of a procedure or subroutine from within its own code block.
“If you don't write a stop condition, the recursion will crash the program.”
“The algorithm uses recursion to traverse the complex tree structure, breaking the task into smaller, identical sub-problems.”
Usage
Commonly used in the context of 'infinite recursion' to describe a bug where a process never ends.
Synonyms
Antonyms
03the act of recurring
C2 · Proficiency Uncountable noun Formal
n. the act of something happening again or repeating.
n. the act of recurring or returning; a repetition of an event or pattern.
“The recursion of these themes in his novels shows his obsession with the past.”
“The constant recursion of seasonal patterns provided a sense of stability to the ancient agricultural society.”
Teaching tip
In general English, 'recurrence' is much more common for events; 'recursion' is almost always reserved for technical or structural repetition.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Real-World Examples
“One part of the test focused on recursion—the ability to embed phrases within phrases.” “Because this approach—recursion—involves breaking a problem into smaller subproblems, it naturally lends itself to parallelization.” Etymology
Borrowed from Latin recursiō (“the act of running back or again, return”), from recurrō (“run back; return”), from re- (“back, again”) + currō (“run”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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