iteration

American  

[it-uh-ray-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

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Etymology

Origin of iteration

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

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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 has warned that this year's iteration of the climate phenomenon is likely to be the strongest in living memory, with the peak not expected until the end of the year.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026

The next iteration replaced the sea foam with prismatic and floral elements.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

Reviewing the earlier iteration, our critic said the show paints “Moses as more complicated than the cheerful, childlike images her name conjures and as a legitimizer of self-taught art.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026

Bilt, for its part, said the issue had to do with an earlier iteration of its credit cards that had stopped accepting customers.

From Salon ● Sep. 1, 2026

I did not like this iteration of one idea—this strange recurrence of one image, and I grew nervous as bedtime approached and the hour of the vision drew near.

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

Joabar said he expects new iterations of the corporate card to come out more quickly over the next several years, as AI is helping speed up the process from prototyping to launching.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 30, 2026

“Over the years, McDonald’s has tried multiple iterations for chicken and strips, opting for different seasoning, cuts and sauces, all with little success,” he said.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026

And the latest rules have been arrived at after various previous iterations that worked in different ways, such as shutting the pit lane for specific periods.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

And while expensive to train, the models are "cheap to run", he said, meaning "you can do more iterations, maybe every few minutes, to see if some specific weather pattern exists".

From Barron's ● Sep. 11, 2026

He smiled at the iterations of Aditya as the months went on.

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon

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