recessive

adjective

• 1 Genetics relating to or denoting heritable characteristics controlled by genes which are expressed in offspring only when inherited from both parents. Often contrasted with dominant.

• 2undergoing an economic recession:the recessive housing market

• 3 Phonetics (of the stress on a word or phrase) tending to fall on the first syllable: recessive stress is characteristic of British English

• 4 Linguistics tending to fall into disuse: this variant was a low-status and recessive feature

noun

• a recessive trait or gene.