1 recessive | Definition of recessive
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recessive

adjective
re·​ces·​sive | \ ri-ˈse-siv How to pronounce recessive (audio) \

Definition of recessive

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1a : tending to recede
b : withdrawn sense 2
2a : producing little or no phenotypic effect when occurring in heterozygous condition with a contrasting allele recessive genes
b : expressed only when the determining gene is in the homozygous condition recessive traits a recessive disease

recessive

noun

Definition of recessive (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : an organism possessing one or more recessive characters
2 : a recessive character or gene
Other Words from recessive Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about recessive

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Other Words from recessive

Adjective

recessively adverb
recessiveness noun

Synonyms & Antonyms for recessive

Synonyms: Adjective

backward, bashful, coy, demure, diffident, introverted, modest, retiring, self-effacing, sheepish, shy, withdrawn

Antonyms: Adjective

extroverted (also extraverted), immodest, outgoing

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Examples of recessive in a Sentence

Adjective

 a recessive genius who was most comfortable working alone in his chemistry lab

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

 Self-fertilization, like inbreeding in animals, should pair up harmful recessive mutations, so Schwoch expected the crosses that used pollen from one stem on flowers from another to do better. — Elizabeth Pennisi, Science | AAAS, "Meet the monkeyflower, a weed that may hold the key to zebra stripes and other biological mysteries," 29 Aug. 2019 In general, genes for a particular trait are either dominant or recessive. — Eric Betz, Discover Magazine, "George Church Wants to Make Genetic Matchmaking a Reality," 15 Apr. 2019 Billi’s the central figure but a recessive and potentially static one. — Michael Phillips, chicagotribune.com, "‘The Farewell’ review: Playing a delicate game of Chinese family charades," 12 July 2019 But growing a pea like that would require finding a way to bring forward a rare recessive gene. — Norman Vanamee, Town & Country, "Why One of David Rockefeller’s Most Prized Possessions Was a Simple Pea," 11 July 2019 As befits a fellow whose characters rarely can work up the kilojoules needed to produce an emphatic shrug, though, Jarmusch has remained a recessive figure in the culture. — Kyle Smith, National Review, "If Hipsters Became Zombies, Could We Tell the Difference?," 11 June 2019 Basically, one tiny recessive gene keeps it from being a peach. — Catherine Lo, Good Housekeeping, "Peach vs. Nectarine: What's the Difference Between the Two?," 30 May 2019 Robert’s groundbreaking research recently revealed that as much as a fifth of us are recessive carriers of some exotic genetic horror or other. — Rob Reid, Ars Technica, "Ars on your lunch break: The toxic truths within our DNA," 18 July 2018 High school biology trains us to think of recessive/dominant and afflicted/unafflicted in very binary terms. — Rob Reid, Ars Technica, "Ars on your lunch break: The toxic truths within our DNA," 18 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'recessive.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of recessive

Adjective

1654, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

1900, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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More Definitions for recessive

recessive

adjective
How to pronounce recessive (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of recessive

biology : causing or relating to a characteristic or condition that a child will have only if both of the child's parents have it

See the full definition for recessive in the English Language Learners Dictionary

recessive

adjective
re·​ces·​sive | \ ri-ˈse-siv How to pronounce recessive (audio) \

Kids Definition of recessive

: being or produced by a form of a gene whose effect can be hidden by a dominant gene and which can produce a noticeable effect only when two copies of the gene are present Blue eye color is a recessive trait.

recessive

adjective
re·​ces·​sive | \ ri-ˈses-iv How to pronounce recessive (audio) \

Medical Definition of recessive

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1 : producing little or no phenotypic effect when occurring in heterozygous condition with a contrasting allele recessive genes
2 : expressed only when the determining gene is in the homozygous condition recessive traits

Other Words from recessive

recessively adverb
recessiveness noun

recessive

noun

Medical Definition of recessive (Entry 2 of 2)

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