duplication

noun

du·​pli·​ca·​tion ˌdü-pli-ˈkā-shən 

 also  ˌdyü-

1

a

: the act or process of duplicating

b

: the quality or state of being duplicated

2

: duplicate, counterpart

3

: a part of a chromosome in which the genetic material is repeated

also : the process of forming a duplication

Synonyms

• alter ego
• carbon
• carbon copy
• clone
• counterpart
• doppelgänger
• doppelganger
• double
• duplicate
• facsimile
• fetch
• image
• likeness
• look-alike
• match
• mirror image
• picture
• replica
• ringer
• spit
• spitting image
• twin

Examples of duplication in a Sentence

He sent the manuscript out for duplication.

Please eliminate duplication when combining the lists.

Recent Examples on the Web

That could mean fewer meetings, shorter email threads, or less duplication of effort. —Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025

The new tool may also need additional refining to avoid duplication. —N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2025

Managing data mechanics in this arena to power smart cloud-native applications poses significant challenges, including tasks related to data duplication, verification and management. —Adrian Bridgwater, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025

To be clear, organizations don’t intentionally create these duplicates, but duplication can happen if teams work in silos, lacking collaboration, or with fragmented IT governance and divergent business priorities. —Balvinder Singh Banjardar, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for duplication

• abdication
• aberration
• abjuration
• abnegation
• abrogation
• acceptation
• acclamation
• acclimation
• accusation
• activation
• actuation
• acylation

Kids Definition

duplication

noun

du·​pli·​ca·​tion ˌd(y)ü-pli-ˈkā-shən 

1

a

: an act or process of duplicating

b

: the state of being duplicated

2

: duplicate entry 3

Medical Definition

duplication

noun

du·​pli·​ca·​tion ˌd(y)ü-pli-ˈkā-shən 

1

: the act or process of duplicating : the quality or state of being duplicated

2

: a part of a chromosome in which the genetic material is repeated

also : the process of forming a duplication

Legal Definition

duplication

noun

du·​pli·​ca·​tion ˌdü-pli-ˈkā-shən, ˌdyü- 

: the act, process, or result of duplicating