self-replicating
adjective
self-rep·li·cat·ing
ˌself-ˈre-plə-ˌkā-tiŋ 
: reproducing itself autonomously
DNA is a self-replicating molecule
Examples of self-replicating in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
These students proved that generosity, once ignited, becomes self-replicating.
—
Matthew Scogin, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025
The notorious Sandworm unit within Russia's GRU military intelligence agency, for instance, has triggered unprecedented blackouts and released destructive, self-replicating code.
—Andy Greenberg, Wired News, 14 Apr. 2025
View 3 Images Cue the self-replicating robot revolution: Apptronik's humanoid Apollo robot is gearing up to assist in manufacturing copies of itself.
—New Atlas, 26 Feb. 2025
Those are the accouterments of an outstandingly dressed Black man, a dandy, to be sure, but that gives way to André centering himself in the video–self-replicating and standing in as seemingly minor characters.
—Julian Randall, Essence, 25 Nov. 2024
After all, having 200,000 immortal or self-replicating monkeys working consistently until the end of the universe is just as infeasible as having infinite time to begin with.
—Michael Irving, New Atlas, 31 Oct. 2024
Furthermore, the lack of a membrane allowed RNA – a type of genetic material thought to be the earliest form of self-replicating molecule, crucial for the early stages of life – to rapidly exchange between protocells.
—Discover Magazine, 17 Oct. 2024
The particles, which are self-replicating and guided by artificial intelligence, start to display emergent properties.
—Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 13 June 2024
Ultimately, several hundred reactions were found to be self-replicating, creating a promising foundation for further study.
—IEEE Spectrum, 24 Jan. 2024
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Matthew Scogin, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025
The notorious Sandworm unit within Russia's GRU military intelligence agency, for instance, has triggered unprecedented blackouts and released destructive, self-replicating code.
—Andy Greenberg, Wired News, 14 Apr. 2025
View 3 Images Cue the self-replicating robot revolution: Apptronik's humanoid Apollo robot is gearing up to assist in manufacturing copies of itself.
—New Atlas, 26 Feb. 2025
Those are the accouterments of an outstandingly dressed Black man, a dandy, to be sure, but that gives way to André centering himself in the video–self-replicating and standing in as seemingly minor characters.
—Julian Randall, Essence, 25 Nov. 2024
After all, having 200,000 immortal or self-replicating monkeys working consistently until the end of the universe is just as infeasible as having infinite time to begin with.
—Michael Irving, New Atlas, 31 Oct. 2024
Furthermore, the lack of a membrane allowed RNA – a type of genetic material thought to be the earliest form of self-replicating molecule, crucial for the early stages of life – to rapidly exchange between protocells.
—Discover Magazine, 17 Oct. 2024
The particles, which are self-replicating and guided by artificial intelligence, start to display emergent properties.
—Dhruv Khullar, The New Yorker, 13 June 2024
Ultimately, several hundred reactions were found to be self-replicating, creating a promising foundation for further study.
—IEEE Spectrum, 24 Jan. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Self-replicating.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-replicating. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
self-replicating
adjective
self-rep·li·cat·ing
-ˈrep-lə-ˌkāt-iŋ
: reproducing itself autonomously
DNA is a self-replicating molecule
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