duplicative

American

[doo-pli-key-tiv, dyoo-] / ˈdu plɪˌkeɪ tɪv, ˈdyu- /

adjective

involving duplication, especially unnecessary repetition of effort or resources.

The report will highlight examples of wasteful or duplicative spending.
The new “No-Hassle” rule eliminates duplicative luggage screening requirements for passengers originating from certain airports.
done the same way more than once; effectively identical.

A new law allows state agencies to ignore records requests they deem to be duplicative or substantially similar to previous requests.

Other Word Forms

nonduplicative adjective
unduplicative adjective

Etymology

Origin of duplicative

First recorded in 1820–30; duplicat(e) ( def. ) + -ive ( def. )

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.

Part of the rollback of marketing rules was driven by feedback from brokers and agents, who saw the protocols as too restrictive or too duplicative.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 24, 2026

Combined with China’s anti-involution drive, there will be a focus on reducing wasteful and duplicative investment while improving synergies and building on China’s long-term strategic direction.

From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026

The DOJ said it mistakenly withheld the files during its review process because they had been "incorrectly coded as duplicative".

From BBC • Mar. 6, 2026

The visit followed a Jan. 27 executive order signed by President Trump to allow victims of the Eaton and Palisades fires to go around “unnecessary, duplicative, or obstructive” state and local permitting processes.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 4, 2026

Teapot did not end the debate in Washington over the country’s two duplicative bomb labs.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023