# iterate

> English word · Verb · IPA /ˈɪtəɹeɪt/ · frequency rank #52,416

## Definitions
1. To perform or repeat an action on each item in a set.
2. To perform or repeat an action on the results of each such prior action.
3. To utter or do a second time or many times; to repeat.
4. To repeat an activity, making incremental changes each time.

## Etymology
The adjective is first attested in 1471, in Middle English, the verb in 1533, the noun in 1941; partly inherited from Middle English iterat(e) (adjective), partly borrowed from Latin iterātus, perfect passive participle of iterō (“to do something for a second time, repeat”) (see -ate (etymology 1, 2 and 3)) , from iterum (“again”) + -ō. Sporadical participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/iterate