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recursion

/rɪˈkɜrʒən/  ·  say it: rih·KUR·zhun

a process that repeats by calling itself

In Technology & Computing

In more detail

1. (noun) the process of a function or procedure calling itself as part of its operation; a technique in programming where a function solves a problem by breaking it down into smaller versions of the same problem

2. (noun) the act or an instance of something happening again in the same form or pattern

Examples

• 1. The factorial function uses recursion by calling itself with a smaller number each time.
• 2. The recursion of this pattern creates a beautiful spiral design that repeats itself.

How to use recursion

Recursion is primarily a technical term used in programming and computer science to describe a function that calls itself to solve a problem by dividing it into smaller subproblems. More broadly, it can refer to any repetitive pattern or process that repeats in the same form. In everyday contexts, it is less common; iteration or repetition are often preferred outside technical domains.

Register: technical

Common phrases

• recursive function
• infinite recursion
• base case
• recursive algorithm
• tail recursion
• depth of recursion

Synonyms

self-reference · self-calling · iteration · repetition · recurrence

Word family

recursive (adjective) · recursively (adverb) · recurse (verb)

A common mistake

Learners often confuse recursion with iteration, forgetting that recursion specifically involves self-calling, not just looping; without a proper base case, recursive functions cause infinite recursion or stack overflow errors.

Nearby in Technology & Computing

payload, polymorphism, provisioning, redundancy, serialization, telemetry

Keep going

How to remember the words you read · Spaced repetition, explained