a routine practice

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a routine practice" is correct and usable in written English.
You could use it to refer to something that is done regularly or as part of a usual procedure. For example, "Checking the oil level in my car is a routine practice I do once a month".

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

That's why we recommended against it as a routine practice".

The New York Times - Science

To some participants, it felt more like a routine practice than basketball enlightenment.

The New Yorker

It is not a routine practice, but it is not unheard of either.

The New York Times - Sports

He added that what the comptroller derided as backdoor borrowing was a routine practice.

The New York Times

Until then, Ms. White is blitzing through the halls of Congress, a routine practice for nominees.

The New York Times

It was a routine pass during a routine practice on a dreary August morning.

The New York Times - Sports

"No healthy child should be sent off to a routine practice and die from it".

The New York Times - Sports

Cleaning out files is a routine practice, but all documents must be saved once an investigation has begun.

The New York Times

"Artificially manipulating scientific data has become a routine practice of Dr. Kang to avoid 'extra work,' " the report said.

The New York Times

"The checkpoints made a routine practice of confiscating large sums of money," said Sgt. First Class James Pratt.

The New York Times

Aj was training to be an RAF pilot and was on a routine practice flight when his plane crashed.

The Guardian - Music

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a routine practice" to emphasize that something is done regularly and is part of an established process or procedure. For greater impact, specify why the practice is considered routine, for example: "Auditing financial records is a routine practice to ensure regulatory compliance".

Common error

While "a routine practice" is perfectly acceptable, avoid using it repetitively in the same piece of writing. Vary your language with synonyms like "standard procedure" or "common habit" /s/standard+procedure to keep your writing engaging.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a routine practice" functions primarily as a noun phrase, often acting as the subject complement or object in a sentence. It describes an action or procedure that is performed regularly or according to established guidelines, as confirmed by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

44%

News & Media

37%

Formal & Business

8%

Less common in

Wiki

3%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "a routine practice" is a common and grammatically correct phrase used to describe an action or procedure that is performed regularly and according to established guidelines. Ludwig AI confirms its broad applicability across contexts from science and news to formal business settings. To improve your writing, remember to use this phrase when you want to emphasize the regularity and predictability of an action, while also avoiding overuse by substituting with synonyms like "a standard procedure" or "a common habit" to maintain reader engagement.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

a regular procedure

Highlights predictable aspect.

a standard procedure

Emphasizes established method rather than frequency.

a common procedure

Focuses on how often it occurs.

a typical habit

Highlights the habitual aspect more than the procedural.

a usual custom

Highlights conventional aspect.

a general habit

Emphasizes that it's generally done.

a normal process

Shifts the focus to the normalcy of the process.

an established norm

Highlights that it is accepted and commonplace.

an everyday occurrence

Highlights the frequency of the event rather than the method.

a daily grind

Indicates monotony. Implies a more toilsome or tiresome practice.

FAQs

How can I use "a routine practice" in a sentence?

You can use "a routine practice" to describe something that is done regularly and is part of an established procedure. For example: "Data backup is "a routine practice" in our IT department to prevent data loss."

What's the difference between "a routine practice" and "a common practice"?

"A routine practice" suggests something is done as part of a standard procedure or regular schedule. "A common practice", on the other hand, simply means that something is frequently done, even if it's not part of a set routine. You might say, "Using strong passwords is "a common practice"", but "Performing daily backups is "a routine practice"".

What are some alternatives to "a routine practice"?

Depending on the context, you can use alternatives like "a standard procedure", "a regular process", or "a common habit".

Is "a routine practice" formal or informal language?

"A routine practice" is generally considered neutral to formal language and can be used in various contexts, including business, academic, and general writing. The level of formality depends more on the surrounding vocabulary and sentence structure.