repetition

rep·e·ti·tion | \ ˌre-pə-ˈti-shən

How to pronounce repetition (audio)

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Definition of repetition

1a : the act or an instance of repeating or being repeated

b : a motion or exercise (such as a push-up) that is repeated and usually counted

2 : mention, recital

Other Words from repetition Synonyms Example Sentences Learn More about repetition

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Examples of repetition in a Sentence

Sometimes repetition is necessary to drive a point home. Children's songs involve lots of repetition. I quit my job at the factory because I hated the mindless repetition.

Recent Examples on the Web Note the Le Guin-like way that sensory repetition pulls us through, a progression from sights to smells to sounds. — Jason Kehe, Wired, "The 20 Best Books of a Decade That Unmade Genre Fiction," 29 Dec. 2019 Despite the repetition and the not-so-good-natured ribbing, the debating was wonderful. — Ephrat Livni, Quartz, "The Tao of impeachment: The process is the point," 19 Dec. 2019 With the help of a coach, the cast learned the two keys to nailing a lip sync number — breath control and repetition. — Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, "How the Soundtrack cast pulled off that flawless lip-syncing," 18 Dec. 2019 Every single player is locked in with laser focus on every practice repetition. — Sean Reaver, USA TODAY, "Former Navy player recalls thrill of winning Army game 'all four years'," 12 Dec. 2019 West wants to overwhelm with starkness, volume, and repetition. — Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, "Kanye West’s Austere Reform Church," 25 Oct. 2019 The problem more lies in inexperienced coaches who increase the volume of exercise too quickly, and push athletes through form fatigue to complete the maximum amount of repetitions for an exercise. — Stephanie Mansour, NBC News, "What is CrossFit? And is it right for you? Here's what you need to know," 8 Nov. 2019 About 3 million Americans suffer from the speech impediment of stuttering, marked by involuntary repetition of sounds, syllables or words. — Los Angeles Times, "Joe Biden’s childhood struggle with a stutter: How he overcame it and how it shaped him," 16 Sep. 2019 Everyone sang along, encouraged by the repetition in lyric and melody. — Tria Chang, Washington Post, "A joyful wedding can still make room for grief," 31 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'repetition.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Learn More about repetition

Dictionary Entries near repetition

repetitive strain injury

Statistics for repetition

Last Updated

8 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Repetition.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repetition. Accessed 19 January 2020.

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WORD OF THE DAY

intercalate

to insert between existing elements

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