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repetition

noun
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rep·​e·​ti·​tion | \ ˌre-pə-ˈti-shən How to pronounce repetition (audio) \

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
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Other Words from repetition

repetitional \ ˌre-​pə-​ˈtish-​nəl How to pronounce repetition (audio) , -​ˈti-​shə-​nᵊl \ adjective

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.
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Recent Examples on the Web Some posts have been filtered out based on repetition of content. — Maura Zurick, cleveland, "Dick Goddard tribute; COVID-19 Halloween decorations; front porch wedding: 20 most popular posts on cleveland.com’s Instagram page 2020," 28 Dec. 2020 The repetition, along with Cudi's hums and Haim's harmonies will put you in a trance. — Christopher Rosa, Glamour, "20 of the Best Sleeping Songs to Listen to When You’re Lying Awake at Night," 26 Dec. 2020 There’s no substitute for the repetition or for experience. — James Crepea | The Oregonian/oregonlive, oregonlive, "What Mario Cristobal said about Oregon Ducks playing Iowa State in Fiesta Bowl," 20 Dec. 2020 Beyond the repetition, the timing for this propaganda is quite unfortunate. — Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, "The Capital Letter: Week of December 14," 18 Dec. 2020 But his repetition of baseless claims that the race was rigged is undermining public confidence in the election system while instilling in his supporters the idea that Biden will be an illegitimate president. — Star Tribune, "EXPLAINER: Trump's election challenges falling flat in court," 21 Nov. 2020 That these injuries remain capable of repetition through the Electoral College represents an outcome that must be avoided. — Star Tribune, "Readers Write: Electoral College reform, Texas election lawsuit, the snickerdoodle cookie," 15 Dec. 2020 This program teaches young people stage presence, literary terms, character building and leadership through repetition and application using spoken word. — James E. Causey, jsonline.com, "Local programs designed to address literacy and mentoring," 19 Nov. 2020 And that lack of repetition has shown in the Spartans’ offensive play the first four weeks. — Chris Solari, Detroit Free Press, "Michigan State football's offensive struggles started with spring disruptions," 15 Nov. 2020

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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First Known Use of repetition

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

History and Etymology for repetition

Middle English repeticion, from Middle French, from Latin repetition-, repetitio, from repetere to repeat

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Time Traveler for repetition

Time Traveler

The first known use of repetition was in the 15th century

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Statistics for repetition

Last Updated

12 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Repetition.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repetition. Accessed 20 Jan. 2021.

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More Definitions for repetition

repetition

noun
How to pronounce repetition (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of repetition

: the act of saying or doing something again : the act of repeating something
: something that is done or said again

See the full definition for repetition in the English Language Learners Dictionary

repetition

noun
rep·​e·​ti·​tion | \ ˌre-pə-ˈti-shən How to pronounce repetition (audio) \

Kids Definition of repetition

1 : the act or an instance of stating or doing again
2 : something stated or done again

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More from Merriam-Webster on repetition

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for repetition

Nglish: Translation of repetition for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of repetition for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about repetition

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