recursive query
also: recursive lookup
A DNS query where the resolver is asked to perform a complete lookup on behalf of the client, returning either the final answer or an error. Unlike iterative queries, the resolver does all the work rather than pointing the client to other servers.
In DNS (Domain Name System), a recursive query is a request where the queried nameserver takes full responsibility for finding the answer. The client asks a resolver (typically your ISP's DNS server or a service like 8.8.8.8) to find an IP address, and the resolver keeps querying other nameservers until it gets a definitive answer, then returns it to the client.
For example, when your browser needs to resolve example.com, it sends a recursive query to your configured DNS resolver. That resolver may query the root nameserver, then the TLD nameserver for .com, then the authoritative nameserver for example.com—handling all the back-and-forth work itself and returning the final IP address to your browser.
Recursive queries are the standard for end-user DNS lookups because they're simpler from the client's perspective, but they place more load on the resolver. They contrast with iterative queries, where the server simply points the client to the next server to ask.