repetitive

[ri-pet-i-tiv]

adjective

1. pertaining to or characterized by repetition.

repetitive

/ rɪˈpɛtɪtɪv /

adjective

1. characterized by or given to unnecessary repetition; boring

   dull, repetitive work

Other Word Forms

• repetitively adverb
• repetitiveness noun
• nonrepetitive adjective
• nonrepetitively adverb
• unrepetitive adjective
• unrepetitively adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of repetitive¹

First recorded in 1830–40; from Latin repetīt(us) “attacked again” (past participle of repetere “to attack again, demand return of”; repeat ) + -ive

Example Sentences

Though analogies were drawn to household production, the reality differed: Work was repetitive, boring, without break—the machines never stopped.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Set in a dour factory, “Metropolis” is “the grandfather of all ‘beat the worker down with monotonous, repetitive labor, totally unrecognized by management’ movies,” says Mankiewicz of TCM.

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"But we must also be vigilant in preventing products that are highly repetitive from 'gathering' in the market, squeezing research and development space and other risks."

Read more on Barron's

He adds that odd phrasing, unnatural emotional delivery, and lyrics that feel generic or repetitive can also be clues.

Read more on BBC

But she added that some of the debate in the Lords had been "repetitive", whilst some of the issues raised by peers had already been "discussed at length" by MPs.

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Related Words

• boring 
• constant 
• dull 
• monotonous 
• repeated