replication
Americannoun
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a reply to an answer.
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Law. the reply of the plaintiff or complainant to the defendant's plea or answer.
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a copy.
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the act or process of replicating, especially for experimental purposes.
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Genetics. semiconservative replication.
noun
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a reply or response
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law (formerly) the plaintiff's reply to a defendant's answer or plea
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biology the production of exact copies of complex molecules, such as DNA molecules, that occurs during growth of living organisms
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repetition of a procedure, such as a scientific experiment, in order to reduce errors
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a less common word for replica
Other Word Forms
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.
Vocabulary lists containing replication
Genetics - Inheritance and Variation of Traits
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Genetics - High School
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STAAR Biology: Mechanisms of Genetics
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Replication is the only way to really verify if they are legitimate or not.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 27, 2025
Replication wouldn’t eliminate forecasting uncertainty, but it would expose assumptions, stabilize expectations, and allow external experts to flag errors before Congress votes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 27, 2025
"Replication of Hinkley Point C, alongside the roll out of SMRs, can power Britain's digital economy."
From BBC • May 15, 2025
Replication is vital to science, seen as fundamental by investigators as far back as the pioneering 17th-century chemist Robert Boyle.
From Scientific American • Jul. 10, 2023
Replication of a common and popular American plow of the 18th century.
From Agricultural Implements and Machines in the Collection of the National Museum of History and Technology Smithsonian Studies in History and Technology, No. 17 by Schlebecker, John T.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
