reproduction

noun

re·​pro·​duc·​tion ˌrē-prə-ˈdək-shən How to pronounce reproduction (audio)
1
: the act or process of reproducing
specifically : the process by which plants and animals give rise to offspring and which fundamentally consists of the segregation of a portion of the parental body by a sexual or an asexual process and its subsequent growth and differentiation into a new individual
2
: something reproduced : copy
3
: young seedling trees in a forest
Choose the Right Synonym for reproduction

reproduction, duplicate, copy, facsimile, replica mean a thing made to closely resemble another.

reproduction implies an exact or close imitation of an existing thing.

reproductions from the museum's furniture collection

duplicate implies a double or counterpart exactly corresponding to another thing.

a duplicate of a house key

copy applies especially to one of a number of things reproduced mechanically.

printed 1000 copies of the lithograph

facsimile suggests a close reproduction often of graphic matter that may differ in scale.

a facsimile of a rare book

replica implies the exact reproduction of a particular item in all details

a replica of the Mayflower

but not always in the same scale.

miniature replicas of classic cars

Example Sentences

the mass reproduction of fine art a reproduction of the painting
Recent Examples on the Web And the way the technique could open reproduction to couples without an XX-XY chromosomal pair raises a unique question, Cohen said in an e-mail to Scientific American. Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 15 Mar. 2023 Hall says the company is now only planting low-flowering female trees to limit wild reproduction. Quartz, 3 Mar. 2023 If reproduction happens late in North America, the resulting chicks may not be mature enough to make the trip south on time. Jill Langlois, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Feb. 2023 The sonar noise cuts into their space, and the whales turned out to have heightened stress hormones, delayed reproduction, and delayed migration. Jack Mccordick, The New Republic, 16 Feb. 2023 In the past decade, scientists have identified asexual reproduction in a number of new species. Gabe Allen, Discover Magazine, 19 Jan. 2023 Orban has also established tax and loan benefits for families in his effort to kick-start more reproduction. Rick Noack, Washington Post, 17 Jan. 2023 In fact, the Freys went so far as to also introduce a few panoramic wallpapers, including one called Zarand, which is an archival reproduction of a 19th-century Kalemkar on top of the henna-looking print Zarand Cordonne. Parker Bowie Larson, ELLE Decor, 27 Feb. 2023 The American Classic is a reproduction of one of Hamilton's most popular models from the WWII era. Men's Health, 24 Feb. 2023 See More

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

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1640, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of reproduction was circa 1640

Dictionary Entries Near reproduction

Cite this Entry

“Reproduction.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/reproduction. Accessed 31 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

reproduction

noun
re·​pro·​duc·​tion ˌrē-prə-ˈdək-shən How to pronounce reproduction (audio)
1
: the act or process of reproducing
especially : the process by which plants and animals produce offspring
2
: something reproduced : copy

Medical Definition

reproduction

noun
re·​pro·​duc·​tion ˌrē-prə-ˈdək-shən How to pronounce reproduction (audio)
: the act or process of reproducing
specifically : the process by which plants and animals give rise to offspring and which fundamentally consists of the segregation of a portion of the parental body by a sexual or an asexual process and its subsequent growth and differentiation into a new individual

More from Merriam-Webster on reproduction

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!


Love It or Hate It

  • heart-fire
  • When asked about her blind date, Carol spoke for hours with vitriol.
Spell It

Hear a word and type it out. How many can you get right?

TAKE THE QUIZ
Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can with using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

Can you make 12 words with 7 letters?

PLAY