routine

American  

[roo-teen] / ruˈtin /

noun

1. a customary or regular course of procedure.

2. commonplace tasks, chores, or duties as must be done regularly or at specified intervals; typical or everyday activity.

   the routine of an office.

3. regular, unvarying, habitual, unimaginative, or rote procedure.

4. an unvarying and constantly repeated formula, as of speech or action; convenient or predictable response.

   Don't give me that brotherly-love routine!

5. Computers.

   1. a complete set of coded instructions directing a computer to perform a series of operations.

   2. a series of operations performed by the computer.

6. an individual act, performance, or part of a performance, as a song or dance, given regularly by an entertainer.

   a comic routine; a dance routine.

---

adjective

1. of the nature of, proceeding by, or adhering to routine.

   routine duties.

2. dull or uninteresting; commonplace.

   Synonyms:

   typical, ordinary, habitual

routine British  

/ ruːˈtiːn /

noun

1. a usual or regular method of procedure, esp one that is unvarying

2. computing a program or part of a program performing a specific function

   an input routine

   an output routine

3. a set sequence of dance steps

4. informal a hackneyed or insincere speech

---

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of routine

Other Word Forms

• nonroutine adjective
• routinely adverb
• routineness noun
• unroutine adjective

Etymology

Origin of routine

First recorded in 1670–80; from French, derivative of route route

Example Sentences

“Reclassifying vaccines for six diseases from routine recommendations to “shared clinical decision-making” adds complexity for both providers and parents,” Michaud said.

From Salon

Participants lived on the isolated hotel floor for two weeks and followed daily routines designed to mimic real-life social interactions.

From Science Daily

Then Jimmy introduces him and Josh jumps out of his chair and he goes out and does a whole stand-up routine for seven minutes.

From Los Angeles Times

As people return to gyms or start new fitness routines in the new year, new research suggests that even a short burst of intense exercise could play a role in protecting against cancer.

From Science Daily

For many, this is the first return to routine and education since the war began.

From BBC

Related Words

• act
• custom
• cycle
• drill
• groove
• habit
• method
• pace
• pattern
• piece
• practice
• procedure
• program
• system
• technique
• use