reiterate

verb

re·​it·​er·​ate rē-ˈi-tə-ˌrāt How to pronounce reiterate (audio)
reiterated; reiterating

transitive verb

: to state or do over again or repeatedly sometimes with wearying effect
reiterative
rē-ˈi-tə-ˌrā-tiv How to pronounce reiterate (audio)
-t(ə-)rə-tiv
adjective
reiteratively adverb

Did you know?

Can you guess the meaning of iterate, a less common relative of reiterate? It must mean simply "to state or do," right? Nope. Actually, iterate also means "to state or do again." It's no surprise, then, that some usage commentators have insisted that reiterate must always mean "to say or do again AND AGAIN." No such nice distinction exists in actual usage, however. Both reiterate and iterate can convey the idea of a single repetition or of many repetitions. Reiterate is the older of the two words—it first appeared in the 15th century, whereas iterate turned up in the 16th century. Both stem from the Latin verb iterare, which is itself from iterum ("again"), but reiterate took an extra step, through Latin reiterare ("to repeat").

Examples of reiterate in a Sentence

He iterates and reiterates that his lab likewise provided the French with many biological tools and samples, as well as significant technical guidance … Natalie Angier, New York Times Book Review, 24 Mar. 1991
Easy victories bring little satisfaction; repeated failures encourage reiterated effort, to the moment of ultimate gratification or ultimate resignation. Peter Gay, Style in History, 1974
Judge Douglas has again, for, I believe, the fifth time, if not the seventh, in my presence, reiterated his charge of a conspiracy or combination between the National Democrats and Republicans. Abraham Lincoln, debate versus Stephen A. Douglas, 7 Oct. 1858
"And are you glad to see me?" asked she, reiterating her former question, and pleased to detect the faint dawn of a smile. Emily Brontë, Wuthering Heights, 1847
She avoided answering our questions directly, instead reiterating that the answers could be found in her book. Allow me to reiterate: if I am elected, I will not raise taxes.
Recent Examples on the Web As Roberts reiterated Monday, ahead of the club’s 5-2 win over the Korean national team, the right-hander won’t return to the mound until the 2025 season. Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2024 Instead, officials in Beijing have blasted the bill while largely reiterating common criticisms of U.S. policy as unfair to China. Sapna Maheshwari, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for reiterate 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'reiterate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin reiteratus, past participle of reiterare to repeat, from re- + iterare to iterate

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of reiterate was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near reiterate

Cite this Entry

“Reiterate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reiterate. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

reiterate

verb
re·​it·​er·​ate rē-ˈit-ə-ˌrāt How to pronounce reiterate (audio)
reiterated; reiterating
: to say or do over again or repeatedly
reiterative adjective
reiteratively adverb
reiterativeness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on reiterate

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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