A routine is the usual order in which you do things: a daily routine, a morning routine. The word is usually neutral and even pleasant: people talk about their morning routine with enthusiasm. The meaning “boring sameness” exists too, but it comes from the context.
routine: will you get the meaning right?
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daily/morning/bedtime routine; stick to a routine; get into a routine; a routine check-up
- My morning routine is simple: coffee, a quick shower and ten minutes of reading.
- Since I started working from home, it's been hard to stick to a routine.
- It's just a routine check-up, so there's nothing to worry about.
What changed
First versionDuring exams my regime changes completely.
RevisionDuring exams my routine changes completely.
Regime may seem to fit a daily schedule, but in English it's first of all a political system, usually a harsh one: a military regime. It can also be a strict programme of diet or exercise. Your usual daily schedule is a routine.
As an adjective, routine means “regular, planned”, not “boring”: a routine check-up is a regular planned examination. If you want the negative idea, add it with another word: I'm stuck in a boring routine.
Your turn
Every evening our son has the same bedtime ___: a bath, a story and lights off.
Show the answer
routine — A bath, a story and lights off every evening is the usual order before sleep, a bedtime routine. Regime sounds like a strict programme or a political system, which doesn't suit a child's evening.
Describe a typical weekday morning. Say what time you get up and what you do first.
My weekday routine starts at 6:30, and the first thing I do is drink a glass of water.
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