replication

American  

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

noun

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.

---

Other Word Forms

• nonreplication noun

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; replicate, -ion

Example Sentences

Reasons given for its rejection included that being a replication it was not novel; that after a couple of years the field has moved on.

From Science Daily • Mar. 29, 2026

By contrast, Bennett and Brassard's theory - known as BB84 - shows that any attempt to hack or copy their quantum encryption key changes the very behaviour of its elements, making replication impossible.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

Have you taken any steps to trademark it or even license it for AI replication someday?

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

The most important thing, Walden said, is to avoid mere replication — both of the nominated films’ scores and of the featured performance numbers.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

The issue of replication is central to a topic of foremost importance for any understanding of the Scientific Revolution: the demise of alchemy.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

• reproduction