reproduction

noun

re·​pro·​duc·​tion ˌrē-prə-ˈdək-shən 

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

Synonyms

• carbon
• carbon copy
• clone
• copy
• dummy
• dupe
• duplicate
• duplication
• facsimile
• imitation
• mock
• reduplication
• replica
• replication

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

Examples of reproduction in a Sentence

the mass reproduction of fine art

a reproduction of the painting

Recent Examples on the Web

Hess’s book arrives at a historical moment—post-Dobbs, pro-natalist, techno-dystopian—in which both pregnant bodies and the stuff of reproduction itself have come under an extraordinary degree of scrutiny, judgment, and control. —Jessica Winter, New Yorker, 21 Apr. 2025

Fruit fly reproduction Fruit fly reproduction can happen quickly. —Bestreviews, Mercury News, 18 Apr. 2025

Once the flowers are pollinated, the plant shifts its resources to the next step of reproduction—seed formation, which requires a lot of energy. —Andy Wilcox, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Apr. 2025

There are plenty of aviation nods as well; for example, an original phone booth has been transformed into a photobooth whose interior is covered with a photorealistic reproduction wallpaper of the inside of a Ford Tri-Motor airplane. —Devorah Lev-Tov, AFAR Media, 9 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1640, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing reproduction

• reproduction proof

Rhymes for reproduction

• coproduction
• deconstruction
• introduction
• liposuction
• misconstruction
• postproduction
• preconstruction
• preproduction
• reconstruction
• abduction
• adduction
• conduction

Kids Definition

reproduction

noun

re·​pro·​duc·​tion ˌrē-prə-ˈdək-shən 

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 

: 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