What does reiterative mean?
Reiterative means characterized by repetition. The word is especially useful when discussing language, rhetoric, or speech: a reiterative phrase repeats words or ideas to give them emphasis, force, or memorable rhythm. It can also describe anything that occurs again and again, although repetitive is often the more everyday choice when describing dull or excessively similar material. Reiterative has a formal, analytical tone and is less common than repetition or repetitive in general conversation. In literary analysis, it may identify a structural feature such as a repeated phrase, sound, or pattern. The term is sometimes confused with repetitive, but its emphasis is usually on repetition itself rather than merely on the monotonous quality that repeated elements may create.
adjectiveCharacterized by repetition or by repeatedly saying or doing something. In language, it describes a word or expression that is repeated, often as a rhetorical or poetic device.
- Characterized by repetition, especially the repeated restatement of an idea or the repeated form of a word or phrase.
- Occurring repeatedly or recurrently.
"The speaker's reiterative emphasis made the central point impossible to overlook."
"The repetitive rhythm of the chant gave the performance a hypnotic quality."
"Rather than issuing another reiterative warning, the committee changed its procedure."
Reiterative language uses repetition not merely to repeat information, but to make it stick in the mind.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does reiterative come from?
Reiterative derives from the Latin repetitivus, meaning “repeated” or “given to repetition,” which was formed from repetere, “to repeat.” The Latin root also underlies cognates including repetition, repetitive, replica, and repository. The English form entered use in the early 19th century, initially in contexts connected with repetition and rhetorical restatement.
Related word forms
How reiterative is actually used
Reiterative is formal and relatively uncommon. It can describe deliberate repetition used for emphasis, including repeated words or phrases in rhetoric, poetry, and everyday speech, as well as processes that recur.
Easily confused with reiterative
Reiterative more often emphasizes the act or effect of repetition, whereas repetitive commonly characterizes something whose elements are excessively similar or dull.
Iterative describes a process performed repeatedly, while reiterative more commonly refers to repeated words, emphasis, or restatement.