Replication

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ɹɛplɪˈkeɪʃən/

Definitions

1. The process of making an exact copy or duplicate of something, especially biological material like DNA or cells
2. The process involving the creation of an exact duplicate of an item or system, particularly in biological contexts such as DNA or cellular composition
3. The act of producing an identical copy of a substance or structure, particularly within living cells;

Etymology: The most surprising thing about "replication" is that its original sense was not copying at all but answering. In medieval Latin and Old French, "replicatio" meant a reply or retort, the act of answering back. That sense survives in legal history: a "replication" was a plaintiff's answer to a defendant's plea. The Old French "replicacion" carried the same meaning of reply or answer before the word reached English in Middle English. The modern sense of duplicating came much later. It grew from the Latin verb "replicare", meaning to fold back or unfold, which gave the idea of turning back on oneself and repeating. Over time that notion of repetition narrowed into the specific idea of making an exact copy, which is how the word is used today in fields from biology to computing.

Synonyms: duplication, reproduction, copying, imitation, replication

Antonyms: original, uniqueness, singularity, singular, innovation