repetition

American  

[rep-i-tish-uhn] / ˌrɛp ɪˈtɪʃ ən /

noun

1. the act of repeating, or doing, saying, or writing something again; repeated action, performance, production, or presentation.

2. repeated utterance; reiteration.

3. something made by or resulting from repeating.

4. a reproduction, copy, or replica.

5. Civil Law. an action or demand for the recovery of a payment or delivery made by error or upon failure to fulfill a condition.

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repetition British  

/ ˌrɛpɪˈtɪʃən /

noun

1. the act or an instance of repeating; reiteration

2. a thing, word, action, etc, that is repeated

3. a replica or copy

4. civil law Scots law the recovery or repayment of money paid or received by mistake, as when the same bill has been paid twice

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Other Word Forms

• nonrepetition noun

Etymology

Origin of repetition

1375–1425; late Middle English (< Old French repeticion ) < Latin repetītiōn- (stem of repetītiō ), equivalent to repetīt ( us ) (past participle of repetere to repeat ) + -iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

Andy Akiho’s clever music mechanically parrots the repetitions in the text and grows increasingly frantic as the students’ frustration and discomfort escalate—they hate her and they want her to notice them.

From The Wall Street Journal

Years of repetition sharpens up the accuracy and streamlines the process.

From BBC

It was to beat the computer itself through a blend of skill, repetition and luck to achieve a goal—in the case of “Super Mario Bros.,” to rescue a princess.

From The Wall Street Journal

She would create multiple pictures of the same or similar subjects, refining her craft through painstaking repetition on her modest-sized canvases.

From BBC

The first step is recognizing — and really believing — that repetition is often what allows people to stay nourished when energy, money, time or curiosity are in short supply.

From Salon

Related Words

• litany
• recurrence
• reiteration
• repeat
• rhythm