Repeat vs. Loop — What's the Difference?
By Maham Liaqat & Fiza Rafique — Updated on May 9, 2024
"Repeat" is doing something again after finishing it once, while "Loop" involves repeating continuously until stopped.
Difference Between Repeat and Loop
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
"Repeat" involves completing an action once and then choosing to do it again manually or based on specific conditions. "Loop," on the other hand, continuously cycles through a set of instructions until a predefined condition or manual intervention stops it.
"Repeat" often occurs at a controlled or specified rate, repeating a task or phrase a set number of times. Conversely, "Loop" generally repeats indefinitely until interrupted.
"Repeat" can be manually initiated by an external trigger like a user request. "Loop," however, automatically runs as long as the condition for repeating remains true.
"Repeat" is used in daily conversation for things like verbal instructions or replaying media. "Loop" finds more application in programming, automation, or engineering, where it efficiently cycles through repetitive tasks.
"Repeat" is a directive often used casually or in less technical contexts. "Loop" is more technical and usually associated with programming constructs like 'for' or 'while' loops.
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Comparison Chart
Definition
Doing something again after finishing once
Continuously repeating until stopped
Trigger
Usually external or conditional
Internal logic or predefined conditions
Usage
Common in daily life or simple instructions
More technical and used in programming
Duration
Limited, ends after a set number
Continuous until interrupted
Examples
Verbal instructions, replaying media
Automation tasks, 'for'/'while' loops
Compare with Definitions
Repeat
To practice or perform again.
The band repeated the chorus.
Loop
To move or shape in a loop.
The road loops around the lake.
Repeat
To do or say again.
He asked her to repeat the instructions.
Loop
A programming structure that repeats.
The code uses a loop to iterate.
Repeat
To occur again.
History tends to repeat itself.
Loop
A circular journey.
The bus route is a loop back to the station.
Repeat
To duplicate an action.
She repeated her previous performance.
Loop
A continuous, repetitive process.
The film is stuck in an endless loop.
Repeat
To show a rerun.
They repeated the episode on Friday.
Loop
A connected circuit.
The electronic loop triggers a signal.
Repeat
Say again something one has already said
‘Are you hurt?’ he repeated
Ann repeated that she was very comfortable
Billy repeated his question
Loop
A length of line, thread, ribbon, or other thin material that is curved or doubled over making an opening.
Repeat
Do (something) again or more than once
Earlier experiments were repeated on a larger scale
Loop
The opening formed by such a doubled line.
Repeat
(of food) be tasted intermittently for some time after being swallowed as a result of belching or indigestion
That cucumber repeated on me for hours
Loop
Something having a shape, order, or path of motion that is circular or curved over on itself.
Repeat
Something that occurs or is done again
The final will be a repeat of last year
Loop
(Electricity) A closed circuit.
Repeat
To say again
Could you repeat the question?.
Loop
(Computers) A sequence of instructions that repeats either a specified number of times or until a particular condition is met.
Repeat
To utter in duplication of another's utterance
Repeated the customer's complaint in disbelief.
Loop
A loop-shaped intrauterine device.
Repeat
To recite from memory
Repeated the poem verbatim.
Loop
A flight maneuver in which an aircraft flies a circular path in a vertical plane with the lateral axis of the aircraft remaining horizontal.
Repeat
To tell to another
Repeated what he had heard that morning.
Loop
A segment of film or magnetic tape whose ends are joined, making a strip that can be continuously replayed.
Repeat
To do, experience, or produce again
Repeat past successes.
Repeat a course.
Repeat a pattern.
Loop
(Sports) See league1.
Repeat
To express (oneself) in the same way or words
Repeats himself constantly.
Loop
A loophole through which small arms may be fired.
Repeat
To say something again.
Loop
To form into a loop.
Repeat
To do or experience something again, especially to win a championship for a second time in a row.
Loop
To fasten, join, or encircle with loops or a loop.
Repeat
To occur or happen again
The melody repeats in the refrain.
Loop
To fly (an aircraft) in a loop.
Repeat
To commit the fraudulent offense of voting more than once in a single election.
Loop
To move in a loop or an arc.
Repeat
An act of repeating.
Loop
(Electricity) To join (conductors) so as to complete a circuit.
Repeat
Something repeated, as an interval in athletic training.
Loop
To add or substitute (words) in a film by altering the soundtrack.
Repeat
A broadcast of a television or radio program that has been previously broadcast; a rerun.
Loop
To form a loop.
Repeat
A passage or section that is repeated.
Loop
To move in a loop
"The couple looped constantly around the international social circuit" (Walter Isaacson).
Repeat
A sign usually consisting of two vertical dots, indicating a passage to be repeated.
Loop
To make a loop in an aircraft.
Repeat
Of, relating to, or being something that repeats or is repeated
A repeat offender.
A repeat performance of the play.
Loop
A length of thread, line or rope that is doubled over to make an opening.
Repeat
(transitive) To do or say again (and again).
The scientists repeated the experiment in order to confirm the result.
Loop
The opening so formed.
Repeat
To refill (a prescription).
Loop
A shape produced by a curve that bends around and crosses itself.
Arches, loops, and whorls are patterns found in fingerprints.
Repeat
(intransitive) To happen again; recur.
Loop
A ring road or beltway.
Repeat
(transitive) To echo the words of (a person).
Loop
An endless strip of tape or film allowing continuous repetition.
Repeat
(intransitive) To strike the hours, as a watch does.
Loop
A complete circuit for an electric current.
Repeat
(obsolete) To make trial of again; to undergo or encounter again.
Loop
(programming) A programmed sequence of instructions that is repeated until or while a particular condition is satisfied.
Repeat
To repay or refund (an excess received).
Loop
(graph theory) An edge that begins and ends on the same vertex.
Repeat
To call in a previous artillery fire mission with the same ammunition and method either on the coordinates or adjusted either because destruction of the target was insufficient or missed.
Add 100, left 50. Repeat, over.
Use "say again" instead of repeat on the radio. Repeat will bring in artillery fire.
Loop
(topology) A path that starts and ends at the same point.
Repeat
To commit fraud in an election by voting more than once for the same candidate.
Loop
(transportation) A bus or rail route, walking route, etc. that starts and ends at the same point.
Repeat
An iteration; a repetition.
We gave up after the third repeat because it got boring.
Loop
(rail) A place at a terminus where trains or trams can turn round and go back the other way without having to reverse; a balloon loop, turning loop, or reversing loop.
Repeat
A television program shown after its initial presentation; a rerun.
Loop
(algebra) A quasigroup with an identity element.
Repeat
A refill of a prescription.
Loop
A loop-shaped intrauterine device.
Repeat
A pattern of nucleic acids that occur in multiple copies throughout a genome (or of amino acids in a protein).
Loop
An aerobatic maneuver in which an aircraft flies a circular path in a vertical plane.
Repeat
(music) A mark in music notation directing a part to be repeated.
Loop
A small, narrow opening; a loophole.
Repeat
To go over again; to attempt, do, make, or utter again; to iterate; to recite; as, to repeat an effort, an order, or a poem.
Not well conceived of God; who, though his powerCreation could repeat, yet would be lothUs to abolish.
Loop
Alternative form of loup
Repeat
To make trial of again; to undergo or encounter again.
Loop
(biochemistry) A flexible region in a protein's secondary structure.
Repeat
To repay or refund (an excess received).
Loop
(transitive) To form something into a loop.
Repeat
The act of repeating; repetition.
Loop
(transitive) To fasten or encircle something with a loop.
Repeat
That which is repeated; as, the repeat of a pattern; that is, the repetition of the engraved figure on a roller by which an impression is produced (as in calico printing, etc.).
Loop
(transitive) To fly an aircraft in a loop.
Repeat
A mark, or series of dots, placed before and after, or often only at the end of, a passage to be repeated in performance.
Loop
(transitive) To move something in a loop.
Repeat
An event that repeats;
The events today were a repeat of yesterday's
Loop
(transitive) To join electrical components to complete a circuit.
Repeat
To say, state, or perform again;
She kept reiterating her request
Loop
(transitive) To duplicate the route of a pipeline.
Repeat
Make or do or perform again;
He could never replicate his brilliant performance of the magic trick
Loop
(transitive) To create an error in a computer program so that it runs in an endless loop and the computer freezes up.
Repeat
Happen or occur again;
This is a recurring story
Loop
(intransitive) To form a loop.
Repeat
To say again or imitate;
Followers echoing the cries of their leaders
Loop
(intransitive) To move in a loop.
The program loops until the user presses a key.
Repeat
Do over;
They would like to take it over again
Loop
To place in a loop.
Repeat
Repeat an earlier theme of a composition
Loop
A mass of iron in a pasty condition gathered into a ball for the tilt hammer or rolls.
Loop
A fold or doubling of a thread, cord, rope, etc., through which another thread, cord, etc., can be passed, or which a hook can be hooked into; an eye, as of metal; a staple; a noose; a bight.
That the probation bear no hinge, nor loopTo hang a doubt on.
Loop
A small, narrow opening; a loophole.
And stop all sight-holes, every loop from whenceThe eye of Reason may pry in upon us.
Loop
A curve of any kind in the form of a loop.
Loop
A wire forming part of a main circuit and returning to the point from which it starts.
Loop
The portion of a vibrating string, air column, etc., between two nodes; - called also ventral segment.
Loop
To make a loop of or in; to fasten with a loop or loops; - often with up; as, to loop a string; to loop up a curtain.
Loop
Fastener consisting of a metal ring for lining a small hole to permit the attachment of cords or lines
Loop
Anything with a round or oval shape (formed by a curve that is closed and does not intersect itself)
Loop
(computer science) a single execution of a set of instructions that are to be repeated;
The solution took hundreds of iterations
Loop
An inner circle of advisors (especially under President Reagan);
He's no longer in the loop
Loop
The basic pattern of the human fingerprint
Loop
A computer program that performs a series of instructions repeatedly until some specified condition is satisfied
Loop
The topology of a network whose components are connected in a loop
Loop
An intrauterine device in the shape of a loop
Loop
A complete electrical circuit around which current flows or a signal circulates
Loop
A flight maneuver; aircraft flies a complete circle in the vertical plane
Loop
Move in loops;
The bicycle looped around the tree
Loop
Make a loop in;
Loop a rope
Loop
Fly loops, perform a loop;
The stunt pilot looped his plane
Loop
Wind around something in coils or loops
Loop
Fasten or join with a loop;
He looped the watch through his belt
Common Curiosities
Can "Repeat" be indefinite like "Loop"?
Not usually; "repeat" often has a set limit or external trigger, while "loop" continues indefinitely.
Can a loop be used in daily conversation like repeat?
Typically, "loop" is more technical and not as commonly used as "repeat" in casual talk.
What differentiates a "Repeat" from a "Loop"?
"Repeat" implies doing something again, whereas "Loop" suggests an uninterrupted or automated cycle.
What are loops primarily used for in computers?
Loops are used in computer programming to execute a block of code multiple times, useful for tasks like processing lists or repetitive calculations.
Is repeating a task always intentional?
Not always; sometimes tasks are repeated due to oversight, forgetfulness, or error, rather than deliberate intention.
Can you give an example of a "repeat" in a daily task?
Yes, when you set an alarm to ring at the same time daily, you are setting it to repeat.
How does a "Loop" work in programming?
A loop iterates through code repeatedly until a specified condition stops it.
How do you stop a loop?
In programming, loops can be stopped with break statements, by modifying the loop condition to become false, or reaching a return statement in a function.
Do "repeat" and "loop" have synonyms that are used interchangeably?
While "repeat" and "loop" can have similar meanings, especially in casual use, they aren't true synonyms and are used differently in technical contexts.
Are there any risks associated with loops in programming?
Yes, improperly configured loops can lead to infinite loops, which can freeze or crash programs by consuming too many resources.
Is "repeat" limited to spoken phrases?
No, "repeat" applies to various actions, including replaying media or redoing tasks.
Can a "loop" exist in music as well as programming?
Yes, in music, a "loop" refers to a segment of sound or music repeated continuously, similar to looping in programming.
What is a practical difference between "repeat" and "loop" in a work setting?
In a work setting, "repeat" might refer to redoing a task due to errors, whereas "loop" could refer to a routine or cyclical process that is part of the workflow.
How do novices often misuse "loops"?
Novices might misuse loops by accidentally creating infinite loops or not efficiently managing the loop's execution flow, leading to poor performance.
Is there a way to control how many times something repeats or loops?
Yes, in both cases, you can control the number of repetitions. For "repeat," it's typically set by a manual count. In "loop," it's controlled programmatically with loop counters or conditions.
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Written by
Maham Liaqat
Co-written by
Fiza RafiqueFiza Rafique is a skilled content writer at AskDifference.com, where she meticulously refines and enhances written pieces. Drawing from her vast editorial expertise, Fiza ensures clarity, accuracy, and precision in every article. Passionate about language, she continually seeks to elevate the quality of content for readers worldwide.
