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

"I wanted the repetition to mirror those cyclical thoughts - a spiral or a fixation on one specific feeling," she says.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

The second was dietary repetition, which tracked how often participants logged the same meals and snacks instead of regularly choosing new foods.

From Science Daily • Mar. 30, 2026

It’s a game of repetition and if you do it over and over, you expect it to be done perfectly.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 22, 2026

But Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei refuted those claims as "simply the repetition of 'big lies'".

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

Maybe just as skin on a hand grows tougher after pain in repetition, a person does too.

From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth

Related Words

• litany
• recurrence
• reiteration
• repeat
• rhythm