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

• 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

This means that each parent must possess the same gene in order for the disease to present itself in offspring. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 3 Sep. 2025

Fans got a glimpse at the duo's to-wear-or-not-to-wear banter on Instagram when the Padma's All American author attempted to police her offspring's low-rise jeans by finding any solution to keep them hung on her hips. —Michelle Lee, People.com, 1 Sep. 2025

The resulting hybrid offspring won’t resemble their parent plants, so saving seeds for next year won’t be possible. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 31 Aug. 2025

By breeding Florida’s hardened survivors with Honduran corals, the scientists hope to create offspring that will carry a new heat-resistant genetic armor for the climate battles ahead. —Denise Hruby, Miami Herald, 29 Aug. 2025

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