duplicative
Copying what exists
Duplicative describes something that duplicates or repeats what already exists, often unnecessarily.
The word appears most in bureaucratic and legal contexts, where it criticizes redundancy: duplicative paperwork, duplicative efforts, duplicative programs.
A duplicative process creates copies; duplicative regulations overlap with existing ones.
The tone is usually negative—implying waste or inefficiency.
Identical reproduction made
- replicateCopy exactly
- reproductionCopying or procreation
- facsimileExact reproduction of original
- cloneGenetically identical organism
photocopy · replica · carbon copy · transcribe · reprint · counterpart · ditto · tracing
Covering part of another
- repetitiousCharacterized by needless recurrence
- superfluousExceeding what suffices
- unnecessaryNot essential or required
- extraneousNot pertinent or essential
surplus · excess · needless · tautological · pleonastic · repetitive · reiterative · verbose
Adaptive resemblance to another
- copycatOne who mimics another
- emulationCopying to rival
- derivativeFunction's rate of change
- pasticheImitative artistic tribute
knockoff · counterfeit · forgery · impersonation · parroting · echoing · mirroring · aping
Administrative written tasks
- formsVarieties or documents
- filingStoring documents systematically
- red tapeBureaucratic obstacles to action
- documentationWritten proof or instructions
triplicate · carbon · rubber-stamp · boilerplate · clerical · administrative · inefficiency · busywork
copy
Identical reproduction made
- replicateCopy exactly
- reproductionCopying or procreation
- facsimileExact reproduction of original
clone · photocopy · replica · carbon copy · transcribe · reprint · counterpart · ditto · tracing · backup copy
overlapping
Covering part of another
- repetitiousCharacterized by needless recurrence
- superfluousExceeding what suffices
- unnecessaryNot essential or required
extraneous · surplus · excess · needless · tautological · pleonastic · repetitive · reiterative · verbose · wordy
mimicry
Adaptive resemblance to another
- copycatOne who mimics another
- emulationCopying to rival
- derivativeFunction's rate of change
pastiche · knockoff · counterfeit · forgery · impersonation · parroting · echoing · mirroring · aping · simulation
paperwork
Administrative written tasks
- formsVarieties or documents
- filingStoring documents systematically
- red tapeBureaucratic obstacles to action
documentation · triplicate · carbon · rubber-stamp · boilerplate · clerical · administrative · inefficiency · busywork · processing
duplicativeoriginal
First or inventive
unique · novel · innovative · singular · one-of-a-kind
duplicativeessential
Fundamentally necessary
necessary · nonredundant · streamlined · efficient · non-redundant
- genome duplicationCopying all chromosomes
- key duplicationReproducing a key