Standard Lemma guide

iterate

adj · noun · verb · 10 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈɪtərət/
  • UK: /ˈɪtəɹeɪt/
  • UK: /ˈaɪtəɹeɪt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Canada, US: /ˈɪtəɹeɪt/
  • Canada, US: [ˈɪɾəɹeɪt]
  • Australian: /ˈɪtəɹæɪt/
  • Australian: [ˈɪɾəɹæɪt]

1

adj

Meaning 1

Said or done again; repeated.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: see Thesaurus:repeated

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Iterated.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable, obsolete

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An n-fold self-composition of a function.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: mathematics, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The image of a certain value under such a function.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: mathematics, sciences

Examples

  • f2(x0) is the second iterate of x0 under f.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To perform or repeat an action on each item in a set.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

Examples

  • The max() function iterates through the data to find the highest value.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: reiterate, iterate, repeat, reprise

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To perform or repeat an action on the results of each such prior action.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

Examples

  • In mathematics, an iterated function is a function which is composed with itself, possibly ad infinitum, in a process called iteration.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To utter or do a second time or many times; to repeat.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, transitive

Examples

  • to iterate advice

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To repeat an activity, making incremental changes each time.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: ambitransitive

Topics: arts, design

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

run or be performed again

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the function iterates

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: recur, repeat

10

verb

Meaning 10

to say, state, or perform again

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • She kept reiterating her request

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: repeat, reiterate, ingeminate, restate, retell

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: tell

Narrower terms: perseverate, ditto, harp, dwell, translate, interpret, render, paraphrase, rephrase, reword, sum up, summarize, summarise, resume, quote, cite

History

Etymology

The adjective is first attested in 1471, in Middle English, the verb in 1533, the noun in 1941; partly inherited from Middle English iterat(e) (adjective), partly borrowed from Latin iterātus, perfect passive participle of iterō (“to do something for a second time, repeat”) (see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3)) , from iterum (“again”) + -ō. Sporadical participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English.

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: повта́рям (povtárjam) — To utter or do a second time
  • French: itérer — To utter or do a second time
  • Spanish: iterar — To utter or do a second time