Repeatability: Meaning, Synonyms, and Example Sentences

"Repeatability" refers to the ability of a process, experiment, or action to be performed multiple times with consistent and reproducible results. It indicates how reliably an action or procedure can be repeated without significant variation.

Common uses of "repeatability"

The term "repeatability" is commonly used to measure the quality of science experiments. The repeatability of an experiment means re-executing the experiment with the same parameters and setup will result in the same results. For example, if you take a random sample of students from a certain university, randomly assign them to either a control or experiment group, and then give a placebo pill to the control group and an actual drug to the other group, your results should be the same if you repeated the experiment again and again with another set of randomly selected students from the same university around the same time period. "Repeatability" shows the consistency and reliability of the processes, actions, and/or results.

In the manufacturing industry, the repeatability of a machine's precision is crucial to ensure that each product is identical in quality, meeting strict standards and specifications.

"Repeatability" in dictionaries

The word "repeatability," however, is not accepted in all reputable dictionaries. The term is accepted in Merriam-Webster and the Oxford English Dictionary but does not have a presence in the Cambridge Dictionary or the Britannica Dictionary.

The earliest known use of "repeatability" is in the 1920s and the use of the word peaked in the 1908s. Google Books Ngram Viewer shows the trend of the use of the word "repeatability" from the 1800s to recent times.

Origins of the word "repeatability"

"Repeat": This word comes from the Latin "repetere," which means "to do or say again" or "to go back to." It entered the English language from Old French "repeter."
"-ability": This suffix is used to form nouns that indicate the capacity, skill, or quality of something. It comes from the Latin "-abilitas," derived from "-abilis," which means "capable of" or "able to."

So, "repeatability" essentially means the quality or capacity of being able to repeat or do something again. As mentioned above, the term is often used in the context of experiments and processes to describe the ability to achieve consistent and reproducible results when an action or procedure is performed multiple times.

Synonyms of "repeatability"

Although no word is an exact equivalent of the word "repeatability," the following are words that encompass a part of or multiple parts of the meaning of "repeatability."

Consistency
Reproducibility
Recurrence
Redundancy
Uniformity
Regularity
Continuity
Homogeneity

Example sentences

The laboratory tests demonstrated the repeatability of their experimental procedures.
Achieving a high level of repeatability in data collection is essential for scientific research.
The success of the production line depends on the repeatability of the automated assembly process.
The engineer focused on improving the repeatability of the robotic welding system.
Calibration procedures are critical to maintaining the repeatability of measurement instruments.
The software update enhanced the repeatability of the computer program's results.
The key to the restaurant's success lies in the repeatability of its recipes.
The athlete's consistent performance demonstrated the repeatability of their training regimen.
Quality control measures were implemented to ensure the repeatability of the manufacturing process.
The scientist emphasized the importance of documenting procedures to guarantee repeatability in future experiments.

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