replication

American  

[rep-li-key-shuhn] / ˌrɛp lɪˈkeɪ ʃən /

noun

• replications
  plural

1. a reply; answer.

2. a reply to an answer.

3. Law. the reply of the plaintiff or complainant to the defendant's plea or answer.

4. reverberation; echo.

5. a copy.

6. the act or process of replicating, especially for experimental purposes.

7. Genetics. semiconservative replication.

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replication British  

/ ˌrɛplɪˈkeɪʃən /

noun

1. a reply or response

2. law (formerly) the plaintiff's reply to a defendant's answer or plea

3. biology the production of exact copies of complex molecules, such as DNA molecules, that occurs during growth of living organisms

4. repetition of a procedure, such as a scientific experiment, in order to reduce errors

5. a less common word for replica

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonreplication
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• replications
  plural

Etymology

Origin of replication

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English replicacioun, from Middle French replication, from Latin replicātiōn- (stem of replicātiō ) “a rolling back,” equivalent to replicāt(us) + -iōn- suffix forming nouns; see origin at replicate, -ion

Explanation

If you make a copy of something, like a form or a picture, you have made a replication of it. You might need to mail in a replication of your tax forms when you apply for college financial aid. When you conduct an experiment, you have to repeat it several times to verify that your hypothesis is correct. Each repetition is one replication. A witty retort to a comment or question is also called a replication. Your replications to the teacher's questions may make your classmates laugh, but your smart mouth is bound to get you in trouble eventually.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

replication replications

So singular that it all but defies any kind of tea-leaf-reading or, heaven forbid, attempts at replication.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

Approval should rest on targeted clinical studies showing comparable therapeutic benefit, not on demonstrating molecular replication of the reference drug, as in the large-molecule biosimilar paradigm.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

Resuming his polio project after the war, he concluded by the early 1950s that eradication would only be achieved if transmission could be prevented through halting viral replication in the gastrointestinal tract.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 21, 2026

A turquoise William Turnbull sculpture is between them, and another sculpture by Henry Moore is in the background, a seeming replication of Marcia’s stiff stance in her bright pink, floor-length dress.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 2026

Moss did his best to keep his mind on the intricacies of cell replication until four, when Mrs. Hernandez had to close things up.

From "Anger Is a Gift" by Mark Oshiro

But replications take time and effort and the experiments are resource-intensive and cannot happen overnight.

From Science Daily ● Mar. 29, 2026

In the new study, however, the researchers’ replications produced effects of similar size to those found by the original labs.

From Science Magazine ● Nov. 8, 2023

Science is cumulative, and replications build its comprehensive and credible body.

From Scientific American ● Jul. 10, 2023

“The replications are beautiful but they’re a little neat and contained to feel authentic,” she said.

From New York Times ● Oct. 20, 2021

The plea and replications are as usual in such cases in point of form.

From The Great Speeches and Orations of Daniel Webster With an Essay on Daniel Webster as a Master of English Style by Daniel Webster

Related Words

• reproduction