replicate
Americanadjective
verb (used with object)
-
replicates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
replicated,
past participle, past
-
replicating
present participle
-
to bend or fold back.
a replicated leaf.
-
to repeat, duplicate, or reproduce, especially for experimental purposes.
We were unable to replicate the same results in the field.
-
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)
-
replicates,
present (3rd person singular)
-
replicated,
past participle, past
-
replicating
present participle
noun
verb
-
(also intr) to make or be a copy of; reproduce
-
to fold (something) over on itself; bend back
-
to reply to
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
replicatesimple
-
replicatessimple
-
have replicatedperfect
-
has replicatedperfect
-
am replicatingprogressive
-
are replicatingprogressive
-
is replicatingprogressive
-
have been replicatingperfect progressive
-
has been replicatingperfect progressive
Past
-
replicatedsimple
-
had replicatedperfect
-
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.
See Examples For:
In an era when creative minds are feeling the existential threat of fast-moving tech, readers still seek authors like James whose style no AI agent—or any other human—can replicate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
Your story suggests that the Gund Co. approach is tough to replicate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
"If the cell is not healthy, the virus would not replicate well," Yang said.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 21, 2026
This was the first of a potential 21 ODIs in preparation for the World Cup, the tri-series format designed to replicate the pressure and permutations of tournament cricket.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
At dinner the first night, Conant asked Lawrence what he thought it might cost to replicate the Rad Lab at Harvard.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
Several figures at the club still regard him as the profile the squad is missing now, a controlling midfielder capable of dictating tempo in a way nobody currently on the books quite replicates.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
This dishonesty spoils the story and replicates the Bundists’ ideological vanity, minus their heroism.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026
At just 6mph, it replicates the kind of annoying prang you might well get in a car park or at a traffic light.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
The set replicates the characteristics of the actual room in Albany, down to two heavily tasseled flags — one American, one New York state.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 7, 2026
Science replicates itself by indoctrination, since scientific communities work most efficiently when they are agreed about what they are trying to do.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
But it’s a far better analogy for how viewers rallied behind the show, making Hansen and his questionable methods a sensation that could be replicated after their mutual cancellation.
From Salon ● Sep. 26, 2026
Through her multi-club ownership model, which already spans England, France and the United States, she wants the standards being established at London City to be replicated across the globe.
From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026
On Tuesday, he replicated the feat off right-hander Rhett Lowder.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026
Grinberg acknowledged that products built by one startup one day can likely be replicated by a competitor the next day.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
But Petit together with Pascal replicated the Torricellian experiment independently, and Valerio Magni in Warsaw either replicated it in 1647 or reinvented it.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
One of autonomous flight's biggest challenges is replicating a pilot's ability to spot and maneuver safely around other aircraft and obstacles, and there is virtually no margin for error.
From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026
Robert and Michelle King return to the network and territory of their acclaimed series “The Good Wife” with this Silicon Valley-based legal dramedy, replicating that show’s mix of quirk, current events and courtroom nail-biters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
By replicating the action of this hormone, GLP-1 drugs have proven highly effective at managing type 2 diabetes and promoting weight loss.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 8, 2026
He has issued numerous written statements on policy matters but is far from replicating the one-man rule of his father.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
This scheme has a collateral rub: when the regulators themselves go rogue, nothing can stop a cell from replicating continuously.
From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
