reiterate
verb
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
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.
Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 23 Feb. 2026
However, if a situation arises where a discussion needs to take place in the moment, Clarkin’s advice is to calmly reiterate your parenting decision.
—Melissa Willets, Parents, 21 Feb. 2026
Following the company’s quarterly report, Morgan Stanley reiterated its overweight rating on the stock.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 21 Feb. 2026
Her posthumous memoir, published in October, reiterated her claims.
—Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa, FOXNews.com, 21 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for reiterate
Cite this Entry
“Reiterate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reiterate. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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reiterate
verb
