routine
Americannoun
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routines
plural
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a customary or regular course of procedure.
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commonplace tasks, chores, or duties as must be done regularly or at specified intervals; typical or everyday activity.
the routine of an office.
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regular, unvarying, habitual, unimaginative, or rote procedure.
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an unvarying and constantly repeated formula, as of speech or action; convenient or predictable response.
Don't give me that brotherly-love routine!
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Computers.
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a complete set of coded instructions directing a computer to perform a series of operations.
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a series of operations performed by the computer.
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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
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of the nature of, proceeding by, or adhering to routine.
routine duties.
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dull or uninteresting; commonplace.
noun
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a usual or regular method of procedure, esp one that is unvarying
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computing a program or part of a program performing a specific function
an input routine
an output routine
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a set sequence of dance steps
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informal a hackneyed or insincere speech
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of routine
First recorded in 1670–80; from French, derivative of route route
Explanation
A routine is like a habit or sequence that doesn't vary. There are daily routines and dance routines, and maybe even daily dance routines. Something routine isn't unusual: routine things happen all the time. Most jobs have a routine — things that must be done on a regular basis. People often get surprised by things that aren't part of their routine, or "shake up their routine." Computer routines are predetermined and predictable. Singers and dancers also have routines — the planned performances they've (hopefully) been practicing.
Vocabulary lists containing routine
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Bronx Masquerade
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The Circuit
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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.
See Examples For:
Researchers argued that because Guinea-Bissau does not currently offer routine hepatitis B vaccinations at birth, despite WHO recommendations, they have a unique opportunity to study its effects before such vaccines are introduced in 2028.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2026
Dentists could apply the gel directly to teeth using a procedure similar to existing fluoride treatments, making it potentially easy to incorporate into routine dental care.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 5, 2026
It’s routine for DOJ monitors to watch over polling places, and the agency has assured states that, in the midterms, its observers will follow the law and not interfere with voting or election administration.
From Salon ● Nov. 3, 2026
Dave went into surgery for a routine ankle operation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026
It soothed me to take part in this simple routine.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
Made by Malhotra's Mumbai-based Prime Focus Studios and actor Yash's Monster Mind Creations, with Sony Pictures the international distributor, it eschews some hallmarks of traditional Bollywood, in particular its elaborate song-and-dance routines.
From Barron's ● Nov. 5, 2026
Since ending his show, “WTF With Marc Maron,” the comic has been rediscovering the mundane routines that make up a life.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026
Mr. Jones suggests that James sublimated doubts and forbidden desires into his stories and the routines of Cambridge and Eton.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 30, 2026
"Unfortunately, so many women in the winter have to change their routines of running outside because they don't feel safe," says Hollie Thackway, founder of She Strides.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
Most afternoons were spent making up routines to songs we’d listen to over and over until I could hear every beat in my head like a pulse.
From "Monday's Not Coming" by Tiffany D. Jackson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
