duplication: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal, technical
Quick answer
What does “duplication” mean?
The act or process of making an exact copy of something.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
The act or process of making an exact copy of something.
A situation where something needlessly repeats or replicates something else that already exists, often implying waste or inefficiency.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. Slight preference for 'duplication of effort' in UK English versus 'duplicative efforts' in US administrative contexts.
Connotations
In business contexts, often carries a negative connotation of unnecessary repetition and waste of resources.
Frequency
More frequent in technical, business, and academic writing than in everyday conversation.
Grammar
How to Use “duplication” in a Sentence
duplication of [noun]lead to duplicationresult in duplicationeliminate duplicationVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “duplication” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The department will duplicate the report for the archives.
- We must not duplicate the research already conducted.
American English
- The system automatically duplicates the files for backup.
- The committee's work duplicated findings from last year.
adjective
British English
- They found duplicate invoices in the filing cabinet.
- A duplicate key was issued to the caretaker.
American English
- We received duplicate payments in error.
- Please keep a duplicate record for your files.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
The merger aimed to eliminate duplication in marketing departments across the two companies.
Academic
Gene duplication is a key mechanism in evolutionary biology.
Everyday
Let's coordinate our plans to avoid duplication—you buy salad, I'll get the bread.
Technical
The software performs block-level duplication to ensure data integrity.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “duplication”
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “duplication”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “duplication”
- Using 'duplication' to mean 'multiplication' (e.g., 'the duplication of our profits' is incorrect).
- Confusing 'duplicate' (noun/verb) with 'duplication' (noun/process).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. In technical contexts like data backup or biology, it is a neutral, necessary process. The negative connotation arises primarily in management and efficiency contexts.
'Duplicate' is primarily a noun (a copy) or a verb (to copy). 'Duplication' is the noun form referring to the process or state of being duplicated.
No, the verb form is 'to duplicate'. 'Duplication' is only a noun.
'Avoid duplication of effort' is a very common phrase meaning to prevent two people or teams from doing the same unnecessary work.
The act or process of making an exact copy of something.
Duplication is usually formal, technical in register.
Duplication: in British English it is pronounced /ˌdjuː.plɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌduː.plɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “reinventing the wheel (related concept)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'DUPLI-CATION' – making a 'double' or 'duplicate' version of something.
Conceptual Metaphor
Duplication is cloning. / Duplication is a mirror.
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'duplication' most likely to have a positive or neutral connotation?