1
a
: a regular course of procedure
if resort to legal action becomes a campus routine—
J. A. Perkins
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
Ray Russell3
: 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
1
: of a commonplace or repetitious character : ordinary
routine problems
2
: of, relating to, or being in accordance with established procedure
routine business
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
Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
One of the most interesting findings was how little time many of the respondents had to devote to their morning routines.
—Renée Onque, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025
Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 11 Oct. 2025
The goaltending advantage was especially noticeable because Dustin Wolf, who surprisingly played both legs of Calgary’s back-to-back, gave up a weak goal off a fairly routine Kiefer Sherwood rush shot from distance.
—Harman Dayal, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for routine
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Noun
Earlier, during a quiet evening at their home in Dallas, Texas, Muhl and her husband Andrew decided to mix peanut butter with some banana as part of their routine of introducing new foods one by one.
—Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025
One of the most interesting findings was how little time many of the respondents had to devote to their morning routines.
—Renée Onque, CNBC, 10 Oct. 2025
Adjective
The announcement followed a routine physical in which doctors found a small prostate nodule that required additional testing.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 11 Oct. 2025
The goaltending advantage was especially noticeable because Dustin Wolf, who surprisingly played both legs of Calgary’s back-to-back, gave up a weak goal off a fairly routine Kiefer Sherwood rush shot from distance.
—Harman Dayal, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for routine
Cite this Entry
“Routine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/routine. Accessed 14 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
routine
1 of 2 noun
rou·tine
rü-ˈtēn 
1
: a standard or regular way of doing something
2
: an often repeated speech or formula
3
: a part (as of an act or a sports performance) that is carefully worked out so it can be repeated often
a comedy routine
a dance routine
a gymnastic routine
4
: a set of computer instructions that will perform a certain job
routine
2 of 2 adjective2
: done or happening in a usual or standard way
routinely
adverb
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