Iteration
/ˌɪtəˈreɪʃən/
Definitions
2 meaningsThe repetition of a process or a sequence of steps, often used to refine or improve something.
/ˌɪtəˈreɪʃən/
The act or process of repeating a process or sequence of steps.
The software development process includes several iterations of testing and refinement.
💡 Simply: Iteration is like when you try something, see if it works, and then try it again, but maybe a little differently, until you get the best result. Think of making cookies: you might change the recipe a few times before they're perfect!
👶 For kids: Doing something over and over again, like trying to build a tower with blocks until it doesn't fall down.
More Examples
Each iteration of the algorithm brought the solution closer to the desired outcome.
The team made a few iterations to the design based on user feedback.
How It's Used
"The program runs through multiple iterations of the loop to process each data item."
"Newton's method uses iteration to approximate the roots of a function."
"The design process involved several iterations of prototyping and testing before finalizing the product."
A single execution or cycle of a repeated process or sequence.
/ˌɪtəˈreɪʃən/
A single performance of a process.
The first iteration of the experiment produced promising results.
💡 Simply: Imagine a single step in a process. For example, in a recipe, each time you mix the ingredients, that's one iteration.
👶 For kids: One time you do something over and over, like one time you stir your soup.
More Examples
Each iteration of the model was evaluated for its accuracy.
During the next iteration, we will incorporate the feedback from the reviewers.
How It's Used
"The loop executed one iteration for each element in the array."
"The first iteration showed a significant improvement compared to the previous version."
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
Antonyms
Idioms & expressions
Iterative design
A design methodology based on a cycle of prototyping, testing, analyzing, and refining.
"Iterative design allows for flexible changes based on user feedback."
Through multiple iterations
Going through a process many times to improve the final outcome.
"The project was completed through multiple iterations of testing and revisions."
From Latin *iteratio* ("a repetition"), from *iterare* ("to repeat"), from *iterum* ("again").
The term has been used in mathematics and computer science since the mid-20th century, but the concept of repeated steps has existed much earlier.
Memory tip
Imagine you're going through the same steps again and again until you get it right – that's iteration!
Word Origin
"a repetition"