recessive

American  

[ri-ses-iv] / rɪˈsɛs ɪv /

adjective

1. tending to go, move, or slant back; receding.

2. Genetics. of or relating to a recessive.

3. Phonetics. (of an accent) showing a tendency to recede from the end toward the beginning of a word.

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noun

Genetics.

1. that one of a pair of alternative alleles whose effect is masked by the activity of the second when both are present in the same cell or organism.

2. the trait or character determined by such an allele.

recessive British  

/ rɪˈsɛsɪv /

adjective

1. tending to recede or go back; receding

2. genetics

   1. (of a gene) capable of producing its characteristic phenotype in the organism only when its allele is identical

   2. (of a character) controlled by such a gene Compare dominant

3. linguistics (of stress) tending to be placed on or near the initial syllable of a polysyllabic word

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noun

1. genetics

   1. a recessive gene or character

   2. an organism having such a gene or character

recessive Scientific  

/ rĭ-sĕs′ĭv /

1. Relating to the form of a gene that is not expressed as a trait in an individual unless two such genes are inherited, one from each parent. In an organism having two different genes for a trait, the recessive form is overpowered by its counterpart, or dominant, form located on the other of a pair of chromosomes. In humans, lack of dimples is a recessive trait, while the presence of dimples is dominant.

2. See more at carrier inheritance Compare dominant

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Other Word Forms

• nonrecessive
  adjective
• recessively
  adverb
• recessiveness
  noun
• unrecessive
  adjective
• unrecessively
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of recessive

1665–75; < Latin recess ( us ) ( see recess) + -ive

Explanation

A recessive gene is a gene that can be masked by a dominant gene. In order to have a trait that is expressed by a recessive gene, such as blue eyes, you must get the gene for blue eyes from both of your parents. You might remember the word recessive from biology, where it most often appears. Its opposite is dominant and is always living in its shadow. A recessive allele has to team up with another recessive allele in order to show up. We can also use recessive to describe something that has the tendency to withdraw or recede, or something pertaining to an economic recession.

Example Sentences

The 14-year-old has Dystrophic Recessive Epidermolysis Bullosa, a genetic condition causing the skin to tear or blister at the slightest touch.

From BBC • May 22, 2023

Recessive traits become latent, or disappear, in the offspring of a hybridization.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Recessive mutations in the gene for a protein called wolframin are responsible for most cases, with glitches in a second gene causing most of the rest.

From Science Magazine • Feb. 11, 2021

She has Recessive Dystrophic EB, one of the most severe forms of the disease.

From Washington Post • May 30, 2017

The Stephanides family tree, diagrammed in Dr. Luce’s “Autosomal Transmission of Recessive Traits,” goes into more detail than I think you would care to know about.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides