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
Unit 3: Compelling Evidence
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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:
The jogger, known as "Tsontso", went missing during a routine run.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
Acetone is useful in an experiment, but its flammability and strong odor make it poorly suited to routine household treatment.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 19, 2026
A forensic postmortem exam with routine toxicology testing is expected to be completed early next week, authorities said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
Huberman doesn’t think it’s that complex—talking about his morning routine, he writes, “When people ask me, ‘Who has time for all this?’
From Slate ● Sep. 18, 2026
After a few weeks, my aunts became less wary of me and we settled into a routine.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
With a career spanning decades, Thompson has attracted followers for his trademark high-energy style and loony routines.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2026
He said the smart eyewear would use AI to suggest things for people to do based on what the tech learns about their goals, relationships and routines.
From BBC ● Sep. 16, 2026
Dogs are more likely to follow the routines, environments and activity patterns of the people they live with.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 29, 2026
Adam Christing is best known as the founder of Clean Comedians, a group that includes Nate Bargatze and specializes in stand-up routines that are free of profanity and dirty jokes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Though her husbands work kept him on the road, Dorothy exchanged her traveling shoes for Farmville life and the routines of family, the stability of regular work, and community.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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.
