Routine

How to spell routine

7 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce routine

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does routine mean?

1. nounA regular, fixed sequence of actions or way of doing things.
2. adjectivePerformed as part of a regular procedure rather than for any special reason.

Routine in a sentence

• noun

  Her morning routine includes coffee, the news, and a short walk.

• adjective

  The doctor ordered a routine blood test before the appointment.

• noun

  The gym instructor wrote out a strength routine for each member.

• adjective

  Officers carried out a routine inspection of the building.

Where does routine come from?

Language of origin: French

This word came into English in the early 1600s straight from French, where routine meant a customary course of action or a well-worn path. The French noun was built on route, meaning a road or way, which itself traces back to the Latin phrase via rupta, literally a broken way: a road forced or broken through the land. So the underlying image is of a track beaten so often that following it becomes automatic, which is exactly the modern sense of a fixed, habitual sequence. The same Latin root gives us route and even rout, all sharing the idea of a way that has been cut or carved. The tricky -ou- spelling and the soft -ine ending (sounding like 'teen') both come directly from the French, which is why the word does not look the way it sounds.

How the word is built

• rout- (from French route: a way or course)
• -ine (noun/adjective suffix)