offspring

noun

off·​spring ˈȯf-ˌspriŋ 

plural offspring also offsprings

1

a

: the product of the reproductive processes of a person, animal, or plant : young, progeny

The disease can be transmitted from parent to offspring.

b

: the immediate descendant of a person or animal : an individual born of a parent

gave birth to a single offspring

"… He was becoming irascible as well, impatient—with me especially, because I was his only offspring [=child]. …"

—Anthony Hopkins

2

a

: product, result

… scholarly manuscripts—the labored offsprings of PhDs …

—Donna Martin

… the substitution of the typewriter and its offspring for the author's own hand.

—Jacques Barzun

b

: offshoot sense 1a

… you can hear this Caribbean club music, a hard-edged and party-heavy offspring of reggae …

—Lorraine Ali

Synonyms of offspring

• fruit
• progeny
• seed
• child
• family
• posterity

Examples of offspring in a Sentence

The show is about two couples and the adventures of their rebellious offspring.

The colt is the offspring of two racing champions.

Recent Examples on the Web

Chaos ensues as all three adult kids and their offspring move in. — Anna Marie De La Fuente, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026

Even offspring that survive are usually sterile and have no way of passing on the extra DNA. — Carrie Arnold contributing, Quanta Magazine, 2 Sep. 2026

Their efforts to hatch and raise offspring at their nest in Southern California became popular with live cam viewers. — Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 23 Aug. 2026

Concurrent surrogacy is used to increase the odds of having a child — in some instances, for rich, single men to create as many of their biological offspring as their egos demand. — Arthur L. Caplan, STAT, 18 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ofspring, from Old English, from of off + springan to spring

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for offspring

• bowstring
• coiling
• downswing
• drawstring
• forewing
• hamstring
• lapwing
• mainspring
• plaything
• shoestring
• texting
• upswing

Kids Definition

offspring

noun

off·​spring ˈȯf-ˌspriŋ 

plural offspring also offsprings

: the young of a person, animal, or plant

Medical Definition

offspring

noun

off·​spring ˈȯf-ˌspriŋ 

plural offspring also offsprings

: the progeny of an animal or plant : young