repeatable

IPA/rɪˈpiːtəbl/
KK[rɪpˈitəbəl]IPA/rɪˈpiːtəbl/

repeatable — adjective

  • repeatablepositive
  • more repeatablecomparative
  • most repeatablesuperlative

1. able to be carried out more than once, especially in the same way each time, so

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

able to be carried out more than once, especially in the same way each time, so that the same result can be checked or confirmed.

Example

The experiment needs to be repeatable so other labs can check the results.

collocation: repeatable experiment

Dr. Okonkwo designed a repeatable method for testing water quality in villages.

collocation: repeatable method

Common collocations
  • repeatable experiment
  • repeatable method
  • repeatable process
  • repeatable results
  • repeatable measurement
  • repeatable technique
Synonyms
  • reproducible

    more formal; strongly tied to scientific methodology where another team can re-create the entire study

  • replicable

    formal; used for experiments or studies that can be copied exactly by other researchers

Antonyms
  • unrepeatable

    the direct opposite; used when a one-time event or unique result cannot be recreated

  • inconsistent

    broader term for results that vary each time, without specifying whether repetition is possible

Usage Note

Common in scientific, technical, and manufacturing contexts. An experiment, method, process, or result is said to be repeatable if it behaves the same way under the same conditions every time.

Common Mistakes

The test is repeatable in the same lab.
The test gives repeatable results in the same lab.
'repeatable' describes the process or result, not the test itself in this phrasing.

2. so rude, insulting, or crude that it is considered unacceptable to say it again

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

so rude, insulting, or crude that it is considered unacceptable to say it again in polite conversation or in public.

Example

The things the fan shouted at the referee were not repeatable on live television.

negative: not repeatable (offensive context)

The comedian's jokes were so crude that they are not repeatable in polite company.

Common collocations
  • not repeatable
  • language not repeatable
  • comments not repeatable
  • not repeatable on television
  • not repeatable in polite company
Synonyms
  • unmentionable

    broader; can refer to any topic considered socially taboo, not just offensive speech

  • unspeakable

    stronger emotional weight; often used for horrors or atrocities rather than rude jokes

Antonyms
  • repeatable

    in sense 1: language that is clean and polite enough to be said again without causing offence

Grammar Patterns

passive: be + not + repeatable

Usage Note

Almost always used in the negative form 'not repeatable'. This sense describes swear words, insults, or graphic language that a speaker or writer chooses not to quote directly out of politeness or legal caution.

Common Mistakes

His language was repeatable in a family newspaper.
His language was not repeatable in a family newspaper.
Sense 2 is almost always negative; a positive use would shift to sense 1 and confuse the reader.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Repeatable, reproducible, and replicable all describe the ability to do something again, but they differ in scope. Repeatable is the broadest term — it simply means a single person or group can perform the same action more than once (e.g. a repeatable lab test). Reproducible is more specific to science: a result is reproducible when a different team follows the same procedure and gets the same outcome. Replicable is the strictest: it means an entire study can be copied in all its details by independent researchers. In everyday use, repeatable covers most situations — you can have a repeatable recipe, a repeatable exercise routine, or a repeatable work process. If you need to emphasise that an independent person or group can confirm the result, use reproducible. Reserve replicable for formal research contexts.

reproducible ↗replicablerepeatable ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • repeatable under the same conditions
  • repeatable across different labs

Prepositions

  • repeatable across
  • repeatable under

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Formed from the verb 'repeat' (from Old French 'repeter', from Latin 'repetere' — 're-' meaning 'again' and 'petere' meaning 'to go to, seek') plus the suffix '-able' (from Latin '-abilis', meaning 'capable of being'). The word literally means 'capable of being done again'. The second sense (too offensive to say again) emerged in the 19th century as a polite way to indicate that certain speech could not be quoted.