english word · 2026-09-14
recursion
noun
Meaning
A technique where a function calls itself to solve a smaller version of the same problem until reaching a stopping point. It is like a set of nesting dolls, where each doll is a smaller version of the one before it, ultimately leading to the smallest possible unit.
Etymology
From the Latin 'recurrere', meaning to run back or return.
Examples
"We used recursion to navigate the nested folders in the file system since each folder could contain more folders."
"The algorithm hit a stack overflow error because the recursion lacked a proper base case to stop the loop."
A new word every day
Get a beautiful english word in your inbox every morning. Free.
Subscribe →