iterative
/ˈɪt(ə)ɹətɪv/adjective, noun
iterative is spelled I-T-E-R-A-T-I-V-E: 9 letters and 4 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 34,504th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, iterative means “Of a procedure that involves repetition of steps (iteration) to achieve the desired outcome; in computing this may involve a mechanism such as a loop” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in iterative?
| Letters | 9: I-T-E-R-A-T-I-V-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 4 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 34,504th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is iterative?
Iterative appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 34,504th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce iterative?
- UK /ˈɪt(ə)ɹətɪv/
- UK /ˈɪtəˌɹeɪtɪv/
- US /ˈɪt(ə)ɹətɪv/
Iterative has 4 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-uk-iterative.ogg, En-us-iterative.ogg, En-au-iterative.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of iterative
- iter.
- iteratives plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does iterative mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Of a procedure that involves repetition of steps (iteration) to achieve the desired outcome; in computing this may involve a mechanism such as a loop.
- 2
Expressive of an action that is repeated with frequency.
noun
- 1
A verb showing the iterative aspect.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
How do you abbreviate iterative?
Wiktionary records one abbreviation of iterative: iter..
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Iterative in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does iterative come from?
Borrowed from French itératif.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).