iterative

American  

[it-uh-rey-tiv, -er-uh-tiv] / ˈɪt əˌreɪ tɪv, -ər ə tɪv /

adjective

1. repeating; making repetition; repetitious.

2. relating to or noting a development strategy that involves a cyclical process of refining or tweaking the latest version or iteration of a product, process, or idea to make a subsequent version: The new restaurant finalized their menu after a year of diner feedback and iterative improvements.

   Website design is highly iterative.

   The new restaurant finalized their menu after a year of diner feedback and iterative improvements.

3. Grammar. frequentative.

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ˈiterative British  

/ ˈɪtərətɪv /

adjective

1. repetitious or frequent

2. maths logic another word for recursive See recursive

3. grammar another word for frequentative

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Other Word Forms

• iteratively adverb
• iterativeness noun
• uniterative adjective

Etymology

Origin of iterative

First recorded in 1450–1500; from Late Latin iterātīvum (verbum) “frequentative (verb).” See iterate, -ive

Example Sentences

“This is an iterative process,” Bhabha often says.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 2, 2026

It took several years, and some iterative modifications to the structure, but wild bats eventually moved in and established a colony there.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026

The lean startup method is an “approach emphasizing rapid experimentation, iterative development, and data-driven decision making.”

From MarketWatch • Nov. 5, 2025

The pitch from them both amounted to arguing that they are assembling what they see as a careful set of thoughtful, workable, iterative steps forward on asylum policy.

From BBC • Sep. 2, 2025

Mutation is proved by this experience to be of an iterative nature.

From Species and Varieties, Their Origin by Mutation by Vries, Hugo de