reproducible

Word family

• reproduce
  verbB2
• reproduction
  nounB2
• reproducibility
  nounC1
• irreproducible
  adjectiveC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

These three words all mean 'able to be done again,' but they are used in different contexts. 'Repeatable' is the most general and everyday — a repeatable process is simply one you can carry out more than once, without necessarily getting identical results. 'Replicable' is the most formal and precise; it is the standard term in research methodology, where it means that following the same steps produces the same findings. 'Duplicatable' is the least common and refers mostly to physical copying — a duplicatable key, a duplicatable document — rather than to processes or outcomes. For scientific or technical writing, 'replicable' and 'reproducible' are the safest choices. For example: 'The effect was repeatable across three trials' (general), but 'The study's findings proved replicable in an independent lab' (formal precision).

Common collocations

Etymology

Formed from the verb 'reproduce' (itself from Latin re- 'again' and producere 'to bring forth, lead out') combined with the adjective suffix -ible (from Latin -ibilis 'able to be'). The word entered English in the early 19th century and became widely used in scientific writing during the 20th century, as the principle of reproducibility became central to the scientific method.