replication

noun

rep·​li·​ca·​tion ˌre-plə-ˈkā-shən 

1

a

: answer, reply

b(1)

: an answer to a reply : rejoinder

(2)

: a plaintiff's reply to a defendant's plea, answer, or counterclaim

2

: echo, reverberation

3

a

: copy, reproduction

b

: the action or process of reproducing or duplicating

replication of DNA

viral replication

4

: performance of an experiment or procedure more than once

Synonyms

• carbon
• carbon copy
• clone
• copy
• dummy
• dupe
• duplicate
• duplication
• facsimile
• imitation
• mock
• reduplication
• replica
• reproduction

Examples of replication in a Sentence

bought a smaller and cheaper replication of the marble statue for his garden

we'll need to do a replication of that experiment so we can collect more data

Recent Examples on the Web

The importance of data replication to a company’s AI data management strategy also increases the amount of storage a company uses. —Thomas Coughlin, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025

The report says the changes observed were likely generated by replication of the virus throughout the patient’s illness rather than transmitted at the time of infection, meaning that the mutations weren’t present in the birds the person was exposed to. —Emily Mullin, WIRED, 7 Jan. 2025

Unlike some other replication projects, NIH has decided not to publicize the results. —Byjocelyn Kaiser, science.org, 26 Dec. 2024

This industrial metaverse, as it’s known, refers to the web of advanced technologies like digital twin, IoT, AI, and virtual reality that come together to create immersive, real-time replications of industrial processes. —Ethan Karp, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English replicacioun "answer, rejoinder, argument, repetition," borrowed from Anglo-French & Late Latin; Anglo-French replicacion "answer to an argument or statement of an opponent," borrowed from Late Latin replicātiōn-, replicātiō "act of bending or folding, repetition, reply, replication in court," going back to Latin, "contrary rotation, replication," from replicāre "to turn back on itself, bend back, go over (a thought, topic) repeatedly, make a replication" (Late Latin also "to restore, repeat, reply") + -tiōn-, -tiō, suffix of verbal action — more at replicate entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for replication

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

replication

noun

rep·​li·​ca·​tion ˌrep-lə-ˈkā-shən 

1

: very exact copying or duplication

2

: an act or process of copying or duplication

Medical Definition

replication

noun

rep·​li·​ca·​tion ˌrep-lə-ˈkā-shən 

1

: the action or process of reproducing or duplicating

replication of DNA

2

: performance of an experiment or procedure more than once

Legal Definition

replication

noun

rep·​li·​ca·​tion ˌre-plə-ˈkā-shən 

: reply

Etymology

Anglo-French, from Middle French, from Late Latin replicatio, from Latin, action of folding back, from replicare to fold back