Ask Experts Questions for FREE Help!
Answer   ||    Advanced Search    ||    Help
Ask your question or search...
User Name 
Password 
Join   Forgot password? 

Want to become a member? It's free and once you join you can ask and answer questions. Join Now!

Home > Arts & Leisure > Writing   »   iterate vs. reiterate

Question
 
 
#1  
Old Mar 18, 2009, 03:51 AM
RickJ's Avatar
RickJ
Über Member
RickJ is offline 		 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: The Bogs at Windover
Posts: 7,375
RickJ See this member's comment history on his/her Profile page.RickJ See this member's comment history on his/her Profile page.RickJ See this member's comment history on his/her Profile page.RickJ See this member's comment history on his/her Profile page.RickJ See this member's comment history on his/her Profile page.RickJ See this member's comment history on his/her Profile page.
iterate vs. reiterate
I see that both iterate and reiterate basically mean the same thing:

"to say (or do) again or repeatedly"

How is it that adding "re" to a word, which I typically take to mean "again", keeps the meaning the same.

Yes, I know that "reiterate" is used far more often than "iterate"...but I'm just curious in case I ever get on Jeopardy

Do any of you wordSmiths have a comment on this?

Reply With Quote
 
     

Answers
 
 
Old Mar 18, 2009, 04:11 AM   #2  
Über Member
tickle is offline
 
tickle's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Canada
Posts: 9,157
tickle See this member's comment history on his/her Profile page.tickle See this member's comment history on his/her Profile page.tickle See this member's comment history on his/her Profile page.tickle See this member's comment history on his/her Profile page.tickle See this member's comment history on his/her Profile page.tickle See this member's comment history on his/her Profile page.tickle See this member's comment history on his/her Profile page.
iterate = repeat

reiterate = repeat AGAIN

A common mistake and completely erroneous is saying 'let me REiterate AGAIN'.


REtick
Comments on this post
  Reply With Quote
 
     
 
 
Old Mar 18, 2009, 04:22 AM   #3  
Ultra Member
artlady is offline
 
artlady's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: new york
Posts: 4,058
artlady See this member's comment history on his/her Profile page.artlady See this member's comment history on his/her Profile page.artlady See this member's comment history on his/her Profile page.artlady See this member's comment history on his/her Profile page.artlady See this member's comment history on his/her Profile page.artlady See this member's comment history on his/her Profile page.artlady See this member's comment history on his/her Profile page.artlady See this member's comment history on his/her Profile page.artlady See this member's comment history on his/her Profile page.artlady See this member's comment history on his/her Profile page.
Quote:
iterate means 'do or say something again' and reiterate is the result of the erroneous addition of a redundant prefix; iterate is used more for repeated actions like mathematical functions and reiterate tends to be used for things one says
Antonyms: take back
No wordsmith here,although I am a crossword junkie.I think the best explanation came from the link you provided.It is rather confusing ,now that you mention it.

reiterate definition | Dictionary.com
Comments on this post
  Reply With Quote
 
     
 
 
Old Mar 18, 2009, 05:18 AM   #4  
Über Member
RickJ is offline
 
RickJ's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: The Bogs at Windover
Posts: 7,375
RickJ See this member's comment history on his/her Profile page.RickJ See this member's comment history on his/her Profile page.RickJ See this member's comment history on his/her Profile page.RickJ See this member's comment history on his/her Profile page.RickJ See this member's comment history on his/her Profile page.RickJ See this member's comment history on his/her Profile page.
??

"Again" also appears in the definition of "iterate":

1. to utter again or repeatedly.
2. to do (something) over again or repeatedly.

Confusion? Yep, there's lots. I'm not seeing the difference.
Comments on this post
  Reply With Quote
 
     

Answer this question
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Linear Mode
Ask your question or search...

 






Bookmarks and Sharing
bookmark twitter facebook

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Show Printable Version
Email this Page Email this Page
Search this Thread

Advanced Search




Copyright ©2003 - 2010 - Advizo, LLC
All times are GMT -8. The time now is 07:27 AM.