recursive definition

American

noun

Logic.

a definition consisting of a set of rules such that by repeated application of the rules the meaning of the definiendum is uniquely determined in terms of ideas that are already familiar.

Etymology

Origin of recursive definition

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

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This is achieved by means of a recursive definition facility based on a skeleton compiler with a small set of logical capabilities.

From Preliminary Specifications: Programmed Data Processor Model Three (PDP-3) October, 1960 by Digital Equipment Corporation

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023