replicate

American  

[rep-li-kit, rep-li-keyt] / ˈrɛp lɪ kɪt, ˈrɛp lɪˌkeɪt /

adjective

1. Also replicated. folded; bent back on itself.

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verb (used with object)

replicated, replicating

1. to bend or fold back.

   a replicated leaf.

2. to repeat, duplicate, or reproduce, especially for experimental purposes.

   We were unable to replicate the same results in the field.

3. Genetics. (of a cell) to make a copy of (its DNA).

   The cell replicates its DNA to begin the process of cell division.

verb (used without object)

replicated, replicating

1. (especially of DNA) to undergo replication;

   Our DNA replicates at a rate of 50 nucleotides per second.

noun

1. something that is replicated, as an experiment or procedure.

replicate British  

verb

1. (also intr) to make or be a copy of; reproduce

2. to fold (something) over on itself; bend back

3. to reply to

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adjective

1. folded back on itself

   a replicate leaf

Other Word Forms

• nonreplicate adjective
• nonreplicated adjective
• replicative adjective

Etymology

Origin of replicate

First recorded in 1525–35; from Late Latin replicātus, past participle of replicāre “to fold back”; see re-, ply ², -ate ¹

Explanation

Did you just figure out how to make that excellent pizza you had in Philadelphia? Then what you’ve done is replicate it, meaning you’ve been able to reproduce it. The word replicate carries different shades of meaning, but it generally involves repeating something. Students of biology will know that the word is often used to indicate that an exact duplicate has been made, such as chromosomes that replicate themselves. It can also be used in an unscientific sense to mean that something has been done again to match or repeat an earlier outcome, such as a political group that works to replicate a successful campaign.

Example Sentences

To better replicate real neural activity, Hersam's team built artificial neurons using soft, printable materials that more closely match the brain's structure.

From Science Daily • Apr. 18, 2026

Not surprisingly, others have not been able to replicate Swan’s findings, not even those in which she has collaborated—for example, these recent Danish or Spanish studies.

From Slate • Apr. 16, 2026

But the hope that games might one day absorb humanity’s deepest conflicts underestimates how much those conflicts depend on stakes that games, by design, cannot replicate.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

But if Mythos leaks, another AI lab will likely replicate its capabilities, he noted.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 11, 2026

She and her staff planned the best way to replicate the opening of the Martian spaceship in Grovers Mill, the bomber planes, a roaring cannon, and the gassing of New York City.

From "Spooked!" by Gail Jarrow

Related Words

• clone
• depict
• duplicate
• imitate
• mirror
• reflect
• repeat
• reproduce
• simulate