iteration

/ˈɪdəˌreɪʃən/

/ɪtəˈreɪʃən/

Other forms: iterations

An iteration is a repetition of something. Your nagging friend's message might be lost on you after the umpteenth iteration.

The noun iteration comes from the Latin verb iterum, which means "again," which makes a lot of sense when you consider the meaning of the word, "the act of repeating." Don’t get confused by the similar word reiteration, which essentially means the same thing. Either word is proper to use. Although when you think about it, the "re" means again anyway, so that word actually means "to repeat again," which is in itself a little redundant, don't you think?

Definitions of iteration

1. noun

   doing or saying again; a repeated performance
   type of:

   repeating, repetition

   the act of doing or performing again
2. noun

   (computer science) executing the same set of instructions a given number of times or until a specified result is obtained
   “the solution is obtained by iteration”

   synonyms: looping

   type of:

   physical process, process

   a sustained phenomenon or one marked by gradual changes through a series of states
3. noun

   (computer science) a single execution of a set of instructions that are to be repeated
   “the solution took hundreds of iterations”

   synonyms: loop

   type of:

   physical process, process

   a sustained phenomenon or one marked by gradual changes through a series of states