replicate
Americanadjective
verb (used with object)
-
to bend or fold back.
a replicated leaf.
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to repeat, duplicate, or reproduce, especially for experimental purposes.
We were unable to replicate the same results in the field.
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Genetics. (of a cell) to make a copy of (its DNA).
The cell replicates its DNA to begin the process of cell division.
verb (used without object)
noun
verb
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(also intr) to make or be a copy of; reproduce
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to fold (something) over on itself; bend back
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to reply to
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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replicatesimple
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replicatessimple
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have replicatedperfect
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has replicatedperfect
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are replicatingprogressive
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am replicatingprogressive
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is replicatingprogressive
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have been replicatingperfect progressive
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has been replicatingperfect progressive
Past
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replicatedsimple
-
had replicatedperfect
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was replicatingprogressive
-
were replicatingprogressive
-
had been replicatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of replicate
First recorded in 1525–35; from Late Latin replicātus, past participle of replicāre “to fold back”; see re-, ply 2, -ate 1
Explanation
Did you just figure out how to make that excellent pizza you had in Philadelphia? Then what you’ve done is replicate it, meaning you’ve been able to reproduce it. The word replicate carries different shades of meaning, but it generally involves repeating something. Students of biology will know that the word is often used to indicate that an exact duplicate has been made, such as chromosomes that replicate themselves. It can also be used in an unscientific sense to mean that something has been done again to match or repeat an earlier outcome, such as a political group that works to replicate a successful campaign.
Vocabulary lists containing replicate
NAEP Test Words
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Florida EOC Biology 1
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The Bluest Eye
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
To win in the 21st century, we don’t need to replicate China.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 15, 2026
Any bad actor can digitally replicate a logo or an entire website, Hish said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026
Her pig roast is also part salmon bake and part old-school cookout, a beautiful gathering of nations grooving to an eclectic vibe I’ve tried to replicate here.
From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026
There are two virtual feeds, available to the VAR and TV viewers, which replicate the perspectives of both goalkeepers.
From BBC • Jun. 2, 2026
“Combining the melanoma cells with healthy rat skin cells to see if we can replicate the kind of alteration in the subject’s anatomy.”
From "Boy 2.0" by Tracey Baptiste
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
