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 of offspring

• 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

Schubarth subsequently bred offspring of the Montana Mountain King to captive bighorn ewes on his farm west of Great Falls. — Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 29 Oct. 2026

First elephant to be born at KC Zoo The calf will be the first offspring of parents Zuri, a 17-year-old female, and Tamani, a 21-year-old male. — Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 29 Oct. 2026

Each underscores the fact that strangers affect and can even change one another (like our own offspring do). — Bethanne Patrick, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026

Ella Bleu Travolta, John’s daughter, walked the Miu Miu show, and Apple Martin, offspring of Gwyneth Paltrow and Chris Martin, debuted on the runway for Chloé after fronting one of its campaigns. — José Criales-Unzueta, Vanity Fair, 16 Oct. 2026

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