repetition

noun

rep·​e·​ti·​tion ˌre-pə-ˈti-shən 

1

a

: the act or an instance of repeating or being repeated

b

: a motion or exercise (such as a push-up) that is repeated and usually counted

2

: mention, recital

repetitional

ˌre-pə-ˈtish-nəl 

-ˈti-shə-nᵊl

adjective

Synonyms

• duplication
• iteration
• redo
• reduplication
• reiteration
• renewal
• repeat
• replay
• replication
• reprise

Examples of repetition in a Sentence

Sometimes repetition is necessary to drive a point home.

Children's songs involve lots of repetition.

I quit my job at the factory because I hated the mindless repetition.

Recent Examples on the Web

Typically, Pilates exercises are performed in a sequence of three to five repetitions to build strength and improve flexibility. —Sarah Jividen, Verywell Health, 21 Jan. 2025

As Sabalenka found out in 2022, razing a service motion built up through a lifetime of repetitions is one of the most vulnerable things a tennis player can do. —Matthew Futterman, The Athletic, 12 Jan. 2025

Humans won’t put up with that kind of annoying repetition, but machines will. Understanding Similarities and Differences Researchers are still struggling to understand where LLM mistakes diverge from human ones. —Bruce Schneier, IEEE Spectrum, 11 Jan. 2025

Learning the ins and outs of 120 stars took him nearly a year of repetition. —Patricia Hernandez, Rolling Stone, 10 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English repeticion, from Middle French, from Latin repetition-, repetitio, from repetere to repeat

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing repetition

• incremental repetition

Kids Definition

repetition

noun

rep·​e·​ti·​tion ˌrep-ə-ˈtish-ən 

1

a

: the act or an instance of repeating

b

: a motion or exercise (as a push-up) that is repeated and usually counted

2

: something repeated