iteration

American  

[it-uh-rey-shuhn] / ˌɪt əˈreɪ ʃən /

noun

• iterations
  plural

1. the act of repeating; a repetition.

2. Mathematics.

   1. Also called successive approximation.  a problem-solving or computational method in which a succession of approximations, each building on the one preceding, is used to achieve a desired degree of accuracy.

   2. an instance of the use of this method.

3. Digital Technology.

   1. a repetition of a statement or statements in a computer program.

   2. a different version of an existing data set, software program, hardware device, etc..

      A new iteration of the data will be released next month.

4. a different form or version of something.

   He designed the previous iteration of our logo.

5. a development strategy that involves a cyclical process of refining or tweaking the latest version of a product, process, or idea to make a subsequent version.

   Our startup is relying on rapid iteration in the next software development cycle.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• iterations
  plural

Etymology

Origin of iteration

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English from Latin iterātiōn-, stem of iterātiō; see iterate, -ion

Explanation

An iteration is a repetition of something. Your nagging friend's message might be lost on you after the umpteenth iteration. The noun iteration comes from the Latin verb iterum, which means "again," which makes a lot of sense when you consider the meaning of the word, "the act of repeating." Don’t get confused by the similar word reiteration, which essentially means the same thing. Either word is proper to use. Although when you think about it, the "re" means again anyway, so that word actually means "to repeat again," which is in itself a little redundant, don't you think?

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

iteration iterations

It’s the latest iteration of Nvidia’s vendor-financing playbook, whereby the company has invested into various parts of the AI-infrastructure ecosystem that run on its graphics processing units.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026

This early iteration of his Rangers squad are the opposite.

From BBC ● Aug. 9, 2026

Forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which announced in June that El Niño had arrived, predict this iteration will be “very strong,” bringing a greater promise of a wet winter.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

She reprised the show on Broadway two decades later, but for the latest iteration, presented by Lincoln Center Theater off-Broadway, Ms. Goldberg is staying offstage.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

I’d stopped using the word fascinated to describe the way he engaged with me and my life, because the pejorative iteration of the word no longer seemed fair.

From "A Very Large Expanse of Sea" by Tahereh Mafi

And as a source of income, it was also one of the newest iterations of the American dream, reliant on one of our oldest tropes.

From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026

Four iterations later and the contraption is sturdy enough to withstand the full force of Lenny, an 8-year-old Labrador mix.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

When he was first involved in the Sallie Mae surveys, the participation rate was roughly 15% to 18%; in the first iterations, it was 5%.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 12, 2026

In any of his iterations, he has nothing to lose.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

When he finds several painstaking iterations of a mold that match exactly the size and pear-cut shape of the stone in the vault at the museum, he knows he has his man.

From "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr