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

There’s little airtight data on the fathering brain; cohorts are small; some results await replication while others confound analysis.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 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

"We found that it's the 3C domain of 3CD that binds to the RNA in the viral genome, and then it recruits the other components, such as host protein PCBP2, to assemble the replication complex."

From Science Daily ● May 13, 2026

Indeed, the Science paper is an important replication of Goodall’s work, but its authors do not argue that humans wage war because that’s just who we are.

From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2026

Under this scheme, gene replication starts with the separation of its two identical chains.

From "Double Helix" by James D. Watson

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

Taylor Swift released note-for-note replications of two old albums, allowing everybody a brief opportunity to get mad at an ex-boyfriend she had stopped dating a solid decade ago.

From New York Times ● Dec. 15, 2021

The pleadings then in vogue were the declarations, pleas and replications of the English common law.

From Recollections of Forty Years in the House, Senate and Cabinet An Autobiography. by Sherman, John

Related Words

• reproduction