routine

[ roo-teen ]

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

/ 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 output routine

   an input routine

3. a set sequence of dance steps
4. informal.
   a hackneyed or insincere speech

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of routine

Derived Forms

• rouˈtinely, adverb

Other Words From

• rou·tine·ly adverb
• rou·tine·ness noun
• non·rou·tine adjective noun
• un·rou·tine adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of routine¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of routine¹

C17: from Old French, from route a customary way, route

Example Sentences

Another friend blocked her niece, whose routine ranting had crossed the line into shaming and bullying anyone who voted for the other party.

From Washington Post

A man well known for his strict bed-at-8 routine was still awake, trying to put an edge on his teammates.

From Washington Post

No matter who you are or your walk of life, there are areas of opportunity in your home and routine alike for a more streamlined experience.

From Popular-Science

He responded to eight routine police incidents on that shift, according to town records.

From ProPublica

The first day, some students wanted to take naps midday like they did at home, and the school had to review routines and school-day structures with the students.

From Washington Post

For now, Sabrine continues her daily routine of visits to the protest camp, to political leaders and taking care of the twins.

From The Daily Beast

Royal Christmases have a rhythm and routine—but this year Will, Kate, and baby George have their own, more relaxed plans.

From The Daily Beast

For OK Go, the four-piece band from Chicago, mainstream success started with eight treadmills and a choreographed dance routine.

From The Daily Beast

“This [investigation] is part of routine procedure following the death of any firefighter,” he told The Daily Beast.

From The Daily Beast

I'm pleased with my decision to avoid the routine script problems in favor of the spicy stuff.

From The Daily Beast

They don't seem to think there would be much good gained by begging for special favours through routine channels.

From Project Gutenberg

They are easily seen with the one-sixth objective in the routine microscopic examination.

From Project Gutenberg

The morning to sleep, the afternoon to business and the evening to enjoyment, seems the usual routine with the favored classes.

From Project Gutenberg

He was a good country practitioner, and, I suppose, knew the ordinary routine of his work quite well.

From Project Gutenberg

An occasional visit to her parents, and to her old friends the nuns, was all that interrupted the quiet routine of daily duties.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• conventional
• everyday
• normal
• ordinary
• periodic
• regular
• unremarkable
• usual