REPETITIVE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does repetitive mean? 

• REPETITIVE (adjective)
  The adjective REPETITIVE has 2 senses:

1. repetitive and persistent

2. characterized by repetition

  Familiarity information: REPETITIVE used as an adjective is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• REPETITIVE (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Repetitive and persistent

Synonyms:

insistent; repetitive

Context example:

the bluejay's insistent cry

Similar:

continual (recurring regularly or frequently in a prolonged and closely spaced series)

Derivation:

repeat (happen or occur again)

repeat (make or do or perform again)

repetitiveness (verboseness resulting from excessive repetitions)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Characterized by repetition

Synonyms:

repetitious; repetitive

Context example:

repetitive movement

Similar:

iterative; reiterative (marked by iteration)

Antonym:

nonrepetitive (marked by the absence of repetition)

Derivation:

repeat (happen or occur again)

repeat (do over)

repetitiveness (verboseness resulting from excessive repetitions)

 Context examples 

These contractions result in twisting and repetitive movements.

(Dystonia, NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)

Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) Does the patient have repetitive activities or "habits" that he/she performs over and over?

(NPI - Repetitive Activities or 'Habits', NCI Thesaurus)

The affected individual may also exhibit repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior similar to autism.

(Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, NCI Thesaurus)

These observations suggest that similar mechanisms may drive repetitive behavior in a range of animals, including humans.

(Research on repetitive worm behavior has implications for understanding human diseases, National Science Foundation)

The researchers identified a different type of mutation active in cancer, one that increases and/or decreases repetitive segments of DNA and protein sequences in various genes.

(Researchers uncover role of repetitive DNA and protein sequences in tumor evolution, National Institutes of Health)

This glycoprotein complex consists of 2 repetitive glycoprotein subunits; P1 comes from the bacterial capsule about 95 kD in molecular mass and F1, having an lipopolysaccharide-related structure (350 kDa), is derived from bacterial external membrane.

(Klebsiella pneumoniae Glycoprotein, NCI Thesaurus)

Combinatorial synthesis is not random, but systematic and repetitive, using sets of chemical "building blocks" to form a diverse set of molecular entities.

(Combinatorial Synthesis, NCI Thesaurus)

It is characterized by brief, non-repetitive irregular muscle contractions.

(Chorea, NCI Thesaurus)

Tandem arrays of moderately repetitive (5-50 repeats) short (10-60 bases) DNA sequences found dispersed throughout the genome and clustered near telomeres.

(Minisatellite Repeat, NCI Thesaurus)

A sudden, often repetitive, spasmodic contraction of the thoracic cavity, resulting in violent release of air from the lungs, and usually accompanied by a distinctive sound.

(Cough, NCI Thesaurus)