To repeat means to do or say something again. When your teacher asks you to repeat your answer because she didn't hear it the first time, you say it once more. When you practice piano scales, you repeat the same pattern of notes over and over until your fingers know exactly where to go.

Sometimes repetition is necessary, like when you repeat a grade in school to master material you struggled with. Sometimes it's deliberate practice: a gymnast repeats a difficult move hundreds of times before performing it in competition. Sometimes it's accidental: if you keep making the same mistake, you're repeating an error.

Musicians use a symbol called a repeat sign to show when they should play a section of music again. In conversation, if someone says something shocking or unbelievable, you might exclaim, “Repeat that!” because you want to make absolutely sure you heard correctly.

A repetition is the act of repeating, and something repetitive involves lots of repeating. While repetition can feel boring (like doing repetitive chores), it's also how we master difficult skills. The difference between a beginner and an expert often comes down to how many times they've repeated the fundamentals.