Repetitively

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. Executed in a style that underscores the recurrence of an action throughout a sequence
2. Performed by carrying out the same task or action over and over again
3. Executed in a manner characterized by continual recurrence of identical steps

Etymology: "Repetitively" is a straightforward formation: the adjective "repetitive" with the adverbial suffix "-ly" added to it. The adjective itself comes from "repeat," which goes back through Latin "repetere," meaning "to seek again" or "to attack again," built from "re-" (back, again) and "petere" (to seek or aim at). The suffix has a longer ancestry. It traces back to a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "body" or "form," which passed through Proto-Germanic and Old English as "-lic," meaning "having the form or appearance of." Over time that ending was worn down to "-ly" in Middle English, which is why adverbs like this one end in the same sound as adjectives such as "lovely" or "friendly."

Synonyms: repeatedly, recursively

Antonyms: uniquely