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

As the film begins in 2028, a young Taiwanese nurse (Alina Tsai), known only by her employee number, is shown struggling with her repulsive routines and cramped living quarters in an Indonesian hospital. — Clarence Tsui, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Ten Years Taiwan': Film Review," 13 July 2018 Massage it on in the morning or night (or both!) as the final step of your skincare routine. — Chloe Metzger, Marie Claire, "The Best Face Oil for Every Single Skin Type," 11 July 2018 On Friday, the singer shared a video of her and her boyfriend engaging in what appeared to be a post-workout dance routine. — Morgan M. Evans, Fox News, "Britney Spears and boyfriend Sam Asghari share sexy dance video," 14 Apr. 2018 And voilà: That's my full makeup routine for covering redness. — Allure, "My Five-Minute Foundation Routine for Covering Up Facial Redness," 22 May 2018 This was Mitchell’s daily morning routine at the facility on the city’s east side, like drinking coffee and reading the newspaper are for others. — Terrence Thomas, San Antonio Express-News, "Life without Stars," 11 May 2018 Shauntay says the scene left behind shows Alicia had been in the middle of her typical evening routine: the stove was still on, the TV was on and bills were on the table. — Bianca Hillier, NBC News, "Murder of young mom Alicia Jackson remains unsolved seven years later," 6 May 2018 But there Taurasi was Friday night more than an hour and a half before tipoff, the only player on the court, first stretching, then taking a maybe 150 jump shots and declining to chat until after she was done with both routines. — Mike Anthony, courant.com, "Mike Anthony: Diana Taurasi Still Putting On Shows In Connecticut," 14 July 2018 Start getting back into the morning routine If your kids are used to lazing around in the morning and having a flexible time to wake up, school mornings can be a big adjustment. — Mary Caldwell, ajc, "6 tips to help get your kid in back-to-school mode," 12 July 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Police called the sting, which involved multiple undercover officers, both male and female, a routine operation. — Elizabeth Chuck /, NBC News, "Stormy Daniels dances at another Ohio club night after arrest," 13 July 2018 Nearly $150,000 worth of codeine was seized Monday by the Arizona Border Strike Force conducting a routine traffic stop in Pima County, the Arizona Department of Public Safety said. — Bayan Wang, azcentral, "Officials: $150,000 worth of codeine seized in Pima County; 2 arrested," 13 July 2018 This was how Mbappé plays in a nutshell, making the absurdly difficult look pleasantly routine. — Andrew Beaton, WSJ, "France’s Kylian Mbappé Shows Why He Is the World Cup’s Breakout Star," 10 July 2018 The routine initially sparked some skepticism among climbers. — Ula Chrobak, Outside Online, "Climber Eva López Has a PhD in Finger Strength," 9 July 2018 Nor is Orlove, who quit school this year to focus on growing his following, largely by broadcasting his daily routine six to eight hours a day to up to 50,000 viewers at a time. — Justin Jacobs, Indianapolis Star, "Greenwood teen has 3M Musical.ly fans. But after being bullied, she goes to school alone," 6 July 2018 The sarcophagus, which is a tomb that is sometimes buried, was discovered July 1 during routine excavation work for the construction of a new building in Alexandria’s Sidi Gaber district, according to the Ministry of Antiquities. — Abigail Abrams, Time, "A Mysterious Sarcophagus That May Not Have Been Opened in 2,000 Years Was Found in Egypt," 14 July 2018 Archaeologists found a giant granite sarcophagus while carrying out a routine land inspection in Alexandria, Egypt, according to a Facebook post from the ministry of antiquities. — Ella Cerón, Teen Vogue, "Undisturbed Sarcophagus Found in Alexandria, Egypt," 12 July 2018 Advertisement The Kansas Department of Agriculture shared their top critical violations found during routine inspections at restaurants and grocery stores in Kansas. — Joyce Smith, kansascity, "Lawrence grocery & Overland Park restaurant briefly shut down for roach infestations," 12 July 2018

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.