Etymology
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recessive (adj.)

1670s, "tending to recede, going backward," from Latin recess-, past-participle stem of recedere "to go back, fall back" (see recede) + -ive. Linguistics sense in ancient Greek grammar is from 1879; in genetics, of a hereditary trait present but not perceptibly expressed in the individual organism, 1900, from German recessiv (Mendel, 1865). Related: Recessively; recessiveness.

Entries linking to recessive

recede (v.)

early 15c., receden, "to depart, go away," a sense now rare or obsolete; of things, "to move back, retreat, withdraw,"  from Old French receder and directly from Latin recedere "to go back, fall back; withdraw, depart, retire," from re- "back" (see re-) + cedere "to go" (from PIE root *ked- "to go, yield"). Sense of "to have a backward inclination, slope, or tendency" is by 1866. Related: Receded; receding.

-ive 
word-forming element making adjectives from verbs, meaning "pertaining to, tending to; doing, serving to do," in some cases from Old French -if, but usually directly from Latin adjectival suffix -ivus (source also of Italian and Spanish -ivo). In some words borrowed from French at an early date it has been reduced to -y (as in hasty, tardy).

updated on May 19, 2021

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Definitions of recessive from WordNet
1
recessive (adj.)
of or pertaining to a recession;
Synonyms: recessionary
recessive (adj.)
(of genes) producing its characteristic phenotype only when its allele is identical;
2
recessive (n.)
an allele that produces its characteristic phenotype only when its paired allele is identical;
Synonyms: recessive allele
From wordnet.princeton.edu, not affiliated with etymonline.

Dictionary entries near recessive

receptive

receptor

recess

recession

recessional

recessive

recharge

re-charge

rechargeable

recheck

recherche

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