routine
[noun]
Synonyms:
- procedure, custom, method, order, pattern, practice, programme
[adjective]
Synonyms:
- usual, customary, everyday, habitual, normal, ordinary, standard, typical
- boring, dull, humdrum, predictable, tedious, tiresome

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Related Idioms: the beaten path, the drab monotony of habit
Related Words: squirrel cage, drill

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English Thesaurus: normal, ordinary, average, standard, routine, ...

[TahlilGaran] English Synonym Dictionary ▲

I. rou‧tine¹ W3 /ruːˈtiːn/ noun
[Date: 1600-1700; Language: French; Origin: Old French route; ⇒ route¹]

1. [uncountable and countable] the usual order in which you do things, or the things you regularly do:
John’s departure had upset their daily routine.
Try to get into a routine (=develop a fixed order of doing things).
my daily exercise routine
Dressing is a task which we do every day as a matter of routine (=done regularly and not unusual).

2. [countable] a set of movements, jokes etc that form part of a performance:
a dance routine

3. [countable] technical a set of instructions given to a computer so that it will do a particular operation
—routinize /ruːˈtiːnaɪz, ˈruːtiːnaɪz/ verb [transitive] American English

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

II. rou‧tine² /ˌruːˈtiːn◂/ adjective

1. happening as a normal part of a job or process:
You mustn’t worry. These are just routine enquiries.
routine maintenance work
a routine operation

2. ordinary and boring
routine jobs/tasks
routine tasks such as washing up

[TahlilGaran] Dictionary of Contemporary English ▲

routine
noun
ADJ. fixed, set | inflexible, rigid, strict | dull, humdrum, monotonous | familiar, normal, old, regular, usual | daily, day-to-day | domestic, exercise, school, work
VERB + ROUTINE establish, get into, settle into It took me a week to settle into a routine.
follow, go through We go through the same old routine every morning.
break, change, vary
PHRASES a change from the/in/of routine The children were confused by the change of routine.
a matter of routine Bags of all visitors to the museum are searched as a matter of routine.

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

routine

sb’s daily routine
Make exercise part of your daily routine.
sb’s normal/usual/regular routine
Although he'd gone, I continued with my normal routine.
sb’s morning routine
His morning routine started with a cup of tea followed by a shower.
the old routine
I get sick of the same old routine day after day.
a familiar routine
Cats and dogs like a familiar routine.
get (somebody) into a routine (=develop a fixed order of doing things, or make someone do this)
Try to get your baby into a routine.
slip/fall/settle into a routine (=get into a routine without making any difficulty)
The team slipped quickly into a routine.
break a routine (=do something different)
Bella didn’t break her routine for anyone.
disrupt/upset sb’s routine
She disliked things that disrupted her routine.
a matter of routine
This briefing is a matter of routine whenever a new minister takes office.
a break from routine (=a change)
I needed a break from routine.
routine maintenance
The system will be shut down overnight for routine maintenance.
routine work
We need more junior staff to help out with the routine work.
a routine operation/procedure (=medical operation)
Many routine operations had to be cancelled.
a routine check
Police stopped the vehicle for a routine check.
routine monitoring/screening/inspection
the routine screening of milk for contamination

[TahlilGaran] Collocations Dictionary ▲

normal usual, typical, and as you would expect it to be:
Is this cold weather normal for the time of year?
It had been another normal working day in the office.
ordinary (also regular especially American English) not special, unusual, or different from normal:
They lived in an ordinary three-bedroomed house.
It looks like an ordinary car, but it uses solar power.
Would you like a regular salad or a Caesar salad?
I just want an ordinary bicycle, not a mountain bike.
average [only before noun] around the usual level or amount:
She is of average height.
He is of above average intelligence.
The average price of a pint of milk has gone up.
standard normal – used about methods of doing something, or about the size, shape, features etc of products:
It’s standard practice to X-ray hand-baggage at most airports.
We stock shoes in all the standard sizes.
routine used about things that are done regularly as part of a series of things:
The fault was discovered during a routine check of the plane.
routine tasks such as shopping and cooking
everyday [only before noun] used about things that happen or that you use as part of normal life:
He painted scenes of everyday life in France.
Sally was still dressed in her everyday clothes.
common used about birds and plants that are of the most usual type, and in the phrase the common people (=people who are not rich and powerful):
the common goldfish
an alliance between the aristocracy and the common people
conventional [only before noun] of the kind that is usually used – used when comparing this with a different or special type:
The engine is more efficient than a conventional diesel engine.
the drugs used in conventional medicine
conventional weapons (=not nuclear, chemical, or biological)
conventional ovens and microwaves

[TahlilGaran] English Thesaurus ▲