offspring

noun

off·​spring ˈȯf-ˌspriŋ How to pronounce offspring (audio)
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

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 Even a single inclement weather event can reduce offspring survival by more than 50%. Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 22 Sep. 2024 Around 6% to 11% of the individuals’ genomes can be traced to coastal South American ancestors, the study found, and the team’s analysis provided information about when these two groups met and had offspring. Katie Hunt, CNN, 14 Sep. 2024 The results revealed that while 60% of the females mated with multiple males, only 40% of litters contained offspring from different fathers, according to a June 2013 paper published in Biology Letters. Scott Travers, Forbes, 14 Sep. 2024 In addition to a longer life and abundance of readily available seeds, there is one more evolutionary reward chickadees got for good spatial memory: more offspring. Jacek Krywko, Ars Technica, 13 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for offspring 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'offspring.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of offspring was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near offspring

Cite this Entry

“Offspring.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/offspring. Accessed 3 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

offspring

noun
off·​spring ˈȯf-ˌspriŋ How to pronounce offspring (audio)
plural offspring also offsprings
: the young of a person, animal, or plant

Medical Definition

offspring

noun
off·​spring ˈȯf-ˌspriŋ How to pronounce offspring (audio)
plural offspring also offsprings
: the progeny of an animal or plant : young

More from Merriam-Webster on offspring

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