routine

noun

rou·tine | \ rü-ˈtēn

Definition of routine

(Entry 1 of 2)

1a : a regular course of procedure if resort to legal action becomes a campus routine— J. A. Perkins

b : habitual or mechanical performance of an established procedure the routine of factory work

2 : a reiterated speech or formula the old "After you" routine— Ray Russell

3 : a worked-out part (as of an entertainment or sports contest) that may be often repeated a dance routine especially : a theatrical number

4 : a sequence of computer instructions for performing a particular task

routine

adjective

rou·tine | \ rü-ˈtēn

, ˈrü-ˌtēn\

Definition of routine (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : of a commonplace or repetitious character : ordinary routine problems

2 : of, relating to, or being in accordance with established procedure routine business

Other Words from routine Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about routine

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Examples of routine in a Sentence

Noun

Grandma gets upset if we change her routine. A brisk walk is part of her morning routine. The job will be easier once you settle into a routine. the boring routine of paperwork

Adjective

The surgery has become a very routine operation and poses little danger. He criticized her routine absence from important meetings. The more you do it, the more routine it becomes. They hire high-school students for routine work such as filing. Data entry becomes routine very quickly.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

When Turner revealed her and Williams' self-care routine on the GoT set. — Christopher Rosa, Glamour, "Sophie Turner and Maisie Williams' Friendship Is the Only Pure Thing We Have Left," 18 Apr. 2019 Be sure to incorporate a rich moisturizer into your daily skin care routine. — Lyndsay Green, Teen Vogue, "QUIZ: What is My Skin Type: Dry? Acne-Prone? Oily? Find Out Now," 14 Mar. 2019 And over the last 11 months, Baez has achieved a balance of making routine plays with more consistency while continuing to display his dazzling talent to complete virtually impossible plays. — Mark Gonzales, chicagotribune.com, "Cubs' Javier Baez blossoms into a star on Kris Bryant's level," 12 July 2018 Upsets in one’s daily routine can become a sticking point to those with autism. — Jennifer Walter, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Specialized program for Marquette undergraduates with autism disorders gifted $450,000, set to launch fall 2019," 9 July 2018 The Duchess is a huge fan of mindful activity, and has spoken recently about incorporating it into her pregnancy routine since the beginning. — Lucy Wood, Marie Claire, "Meghan Markle's Former Stylist Reveals What it's Really Like to Hang Out With the Duchess of Sussex," 12 Apr. 2019 Johnson was going through his practice routine on the par-5 13th on Friday when the tip of his driver hit the golf ball. — Doug Ferguson, The Seattle Times, "Zach Johnson’s practice swing doesn’t miss the ball," 12 Apr. 2019 In this week's episode of Go To Bed With Me, Dobrev puts on her bathrobe and gives BAZAAR.com an exclusive look into her nighttime beauty routine. — Nicole Saunders, Harper's BAZAAR, "Watch Nina Dobrev's Nighttime Skincare Routine," 9 Apr. 2019 Amazon’s microwave promises to shave off a few seconds in a daily routine for you, but is that enough? — Shannon Liao, The Verge, "The AmazonBasics Microwave is for those who are spoiled by voice commands," 21 Nov. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Microsoft’s Fluid Framework may be the future of Office—a future where the walls between applications melt away, and collaboration is routine. — Mark Hachman, PCWorld, "Microsoft launches 'Fluid Framework' to transform the traditional Office document," 6 May 2019 Once rare and exotic, sorties like this have become routine in just two years’ time. — Christopher Mims, WSJ, "Your Drone-Delivered Coffee Is (Almost) Here," 30 Mar. 2019 But even as the drills become routine for many of the nation’s 51 million elementary and secondary public school students, there is no consensus on how they should be conducted, experts said. — Carolyn Thompson, The Seattle Times, "Parents question whether shooting drills traumatize schoolkids," 11 Feb. 2019 The Trump administration’s response to this and other recent massive, deadly fires across California has become almost routine: blame environmentalists. — Umair Irfan, Vox, "Ryan Zinke blamed environmentalists for California’s massive wildfires. Again.," 21 Nov. 2018 The other monster—the Mass, composed for the opening of the Kennedy Center, in 1971—can never settle into routine concert life, since mounting it at all requires huge forces. — David Denby, The New Yorker, "Leonard Bernstein Through His Daughter’s Eyes," 16 June 2018 In 2001, a reckless Chinese fighter pilot collided with a U.S. EP-3 surveillance plane conducting a routine patrol, forcing the U.S. aircraft to make an emergency landing in China. — Andrew Shearer, Fortune, "How China’s Laser Attacks on the U.S. Military Could Cause a Serious Conflict," 9 May 2018 Bella showed us her natural side in her Beauty Secrets video, where Hadid showcased her more simple beauty routine, as well as her tricks for combatting jet lag. — Christian Allaire, Vogue, "Lights, Camera, Bella! Her Best Video Moments in Vogue," 25 Mar. 2019 Kenimond was representing Lopez Island resident Dustin Schible in what was by all accounts a routine, low-level misdemeanor criminal trial before a district court jury when the misconduct was revealed. — Mike Carter, The Seattle Times, "Sheriff’s use of courtroom camera to view juror’s notebook, lawyer’s notes sparks dismissal of criminal case," 4 Feb. 2019

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