replication
n. C / Un. the act of making an exact copy of something. It is often used when scientists repeat an experiment to see if they get the same results. In computing, replication is the process of sharing information between different servers or databases to ensure that data stays consistent across a network.
n. the action of copying or reproducing something; specifically, the repetition of a research study to confirm its findings. In biological contexts, refers to the process by which genetic material duplicates itself. In computing and database management, replication refers to the automated copying of data from one node to another to improve reliability, fault tolerance, and accessibility for users.
The replication of the study confirmed the original results.
Successful replication of the initial findings is essential before the new drug can be approved for public use.
In distributed computing, data replication ensures that information remains accessible across multiple servers even if one node suffers a hardware failure, thereby increasing the system's overall reliability.
Inherited from Middle English replicacioun, replicacion, from Anglo-Norman replicacioun and Old French replicacion (“reply, answer”), from Latin replicātiō, replicātiōnem. By surface analysis, replicate + -(at)ion.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Uncountable when referring to the general process of copying; countable when referring to a specific instance or a repeated experiment.
Last updated July 22, 2026