Synonym Chooser

How does the noun reproduction differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of reproduction are copy, duplicate, facsimile, and replica. While all these words 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

When might copy be a better fit than reproduction?

In some situations, the words copy and reproduction are roughly equivalent. However, copy applies especially to one of a number of things reproduced mechanically.

printed 1000 copies of the lithograph

When would duplicate be a good substitute for reproduction?

The meanings of duplicate and reproduction largely overlap; however, duplicate implies a double or counterpart exactly corresponding to another thing.

a duplicate of a house key

When could facsimile be used to replace reproduction?

The synonyms facsimile and reproduction are sometimes interchangeable, but facsimile suggests a close reproduction often of graphic matter that may differ in scale.

a facsimile of a rare book

Where would replica be a reasonable alternative to reproduction?

While the synonyms replica and reproduction are close in meaning, replica implies the exact reproduction of a particular item in all details, but not always in the same scale.

a replica of the Mayflower
miniature replicas of classic cars

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of reproduction The mechanics of marsupial reproduction are not well studied. D. T. Max, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025 For a group of animals already at risk due to slow reproduction, additional reproductive stress caused by pollution could make recovery even harder. Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025 Options among the four available range from an exact reproduction (this creates difficult-to-manage text boxes in Word) to unformatted text. PC Magazine, 30 Apr. 2025 Pigs’ organs are similar to humans’, and the speed of pigs’ reproduction means their organs can be procured quickly. Deidre McPhillips, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for reproduction
Recent Examples of Synonyms for reproduction
Noun
  • Inside, authorities allegedly found more debit cards with numerous names on them, copies of multiple driver’s licenses, bank documents and more than a dozen cell phones, state police wrote.
    Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 17 May 2025
  • Harvard announced Thursday that two British researchers discovered the school’s copy is one of the authentic versions of the legal document created in 1300.
    Rebecca Morin, USA Today, 16 May 2025
Noun
  • In a 2021 presentation for the American Musical Instrument Society, Knight introduces replicas of Gray’s devices and gives a demonstration.
    Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 18 May 2025
  • Tom Young, a member of the Lansing Historical Society, led the team of Paul Lamborn, John Craig, and Randy Elliott, who quickly built the replica over a couple of days.
    Tammy Ljungblad, Kansas City Star, 17 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Reproduction.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/reproduction. Accessed 25 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on reproduction

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