What does "iterate" mean?
An n-fold self-composition of a function.
Iterate
/ˈɪtəɹeɪt/ adj, noun, verb
adj, noun, verb ·Moderate ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: An n-fold self-composition of a function.
- Grammar: iterate is listed as adj, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: repeat, restate, afisr, battologize.
- Useful contrasts: waterfalled, finish, ignore.
- Usage evidence: The roadmap will be updated regularly, and will evolve over time as we iterate on it based on feedback and usage in practise. It describes larger, multi-week cross-functional development we’re committed to.
How to use "iterate"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "iterate" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "iterate" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "iterate" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "iterate" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "iterate" is acting as adj, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "repeat" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "iterate", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 An n-fold self-composition of a function.
"An important example of such a semigroup in infinite dimensional Hilbert space is the weak operator closed monothetic semigroup generated by a linear operator with equibounded iterates."
- 2 The image of a certain value under such a function.
"f²(x₀) is the second iterate of x₀ under f."
Verb
- 1 To perform or repeat an action on each item in a set.
"The max() function iterates through the data to find the highest value."
- 2 run or be performed again wordnet
- 3 To perform or repeat an action on the results of each such prior action.
"In mathematics, an iterated function is a function which is composed with itself, possibly ad infinitum, in a process called iteration."
- 4 to say, state, or perform again wordnet
- 5 To utter or do a second time or many times; to repeat. archaic, transitive
"to iterate advice"
Show 1 more definition
- 6 To repeat an activity, making incremental changes each time. ambitransitive
"For NASA and most private aerospace companies, a single crash is a setback that can take years to recover from. SpaceX works more like a Silicon Valley startup, where the goal is to fail quickly and iterate."
Adjective
- 1 Said or done again; repeated. not-comparable, obsolete
"When our faith is otherwise well enough known, there needs no iterate confession, saith Baldwin, which if, as he saith, it be vain boasting rather than a Christian vertue in us to offer it, it can be no lesse than needlesse, imperious usurpation in them to call as to it."
- 2 Iterated. not-comparable, obsolete
"Therfore I beseche you brethren doe not neglect this holsome & profitable sacrament, but diligently consyder what ayde and what grace is geuen vnto you in it, & if by your necgligence & fal ye haue lost that grace, for a great part: yet it may be recouered agayne, not by a newe Confirmation, which may not be iterate, but by your inward conuersion & faythfull penaunce, and after ye bee risen and haue recouered your strength agayne, than take better hede, and do not make heauye, nor dryue not a∣way the holy ghost from you, who flieth alwaies from fained ypocrisy & wil not dwel in that body that is subiect and seruaunt to synne"
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The roadmap will be updated regularly, and will evolve over time as we iterate on it based on feedback and usage in practise. It describes larger, multi-week cross-functional development we’re committed to."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "iterate"?
Common synonyms include: repeat, restate, afisr, battologize, conceptual model sketch, count cycles.
How do you use "iterate" in a sentence?
The roadmap will be updated regularly, and will evolve over time as we iterate on it based on feedback and usage in practise. It describes larger, multi-week cross-functional development we’re committed to.
How do you pronounce "iterate"?
Pronounced /ˈɪtəɹeɪt/.
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.