reproduce
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to make a copy, representation, duplicate, or close imitation of.
to reproduce a picture.
-
to produce again or anew by natural process.
to reproduce a severed branch.
-
Biology. to produce one or more other individuals of (a given kind of organism) by some process of generation or propagation, sexual or asexual.
-
to cause or foster the reproduction of (organisms).
-
to produce, form, make, or bring about again or anew in any manner.
- Synonyms:
- repeat
-
to recall to the mind or have a mental image of (a past incident, scene, etc.), as by the aid of memory or imagination.
-
to produce again, as a play produced at an earlier time.
verb (used without object)
-
to reproduce its kind, as an organism; propagate; bear offspring.
-
to turn out in a given manner when copied.
This picture will reproduce well.
verb
-
to make a copy, representation, or imitation of; duplicate
-
(also intr) biology to undergo or cause to undergo a process of reproduction
-
to produce or exhibit again
-
to bring back into existence again; re-create
-
to bring before the mind again (a scene, event, etc) through memory or imagination
-
(intr) to come out (well, badly, etc), when copied
-
to replace (damaged parts or organs) by a process of natural growth; regenerate
-
to cause (a sound or television recording) to be heard or seen
Synonym Usage
See imitate.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
reproducernoun
-
reproducibilitynoun
-
reproducibleadjective
-
self-reproducingadjective
-
reproduciblyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
reproducesimple
-
reproducessimple
-
have reproducedperfect
-
has reproducedperfect
-
am reproducingprogressive
-
are reproducingprogressive
-
is reproducingprogressive
-
have been reproducingperfect progressive
-
has been reproducingperfect progressive
Past
-
reproducedsimple
-
had reproducedperfect
-
was reproducingprogressive
-
were reproducingprogressive
-
had been reproducingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of reproduce
Explanation
To reproduce is to make more, either by having babies or creating copies. Parents and copy machines both reproduce. To produce is "to make something," and re means “again,” so reproduce literally means to “produce again.” When animals and plants make more of their own kind, they reproduce. Plants reproduce asexually, and people reproduce through childbirth. You can also reproduce a book by printing more copies or a computer file by copying it. Reproducing always creates more of something.
Vocabulary lists containing reproduce
Inside Out & Back Again
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
"CLEP Financial Accounting," Vocabulary from Chapter 16
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Articles on Overfishing
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The effort comes as climate change creates more favourable conditions for mosquitoes to survive and reproduce, increasing concerns about the spread of mosquito-borne diseases.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
The medication is a broad-spectrum inhibitor of the viral polymerase, an enzyme the virus needs in order to reproduce.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026
Wetter and longer monsoons are giving them more time to reproduce in the tropics.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
So being able to reproduce results using identical equipment in different institutions gives scientists like Dr Josh Bailey robust evidence to rely on.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
The majority of such escapees die rapidly, unable to thrive or reproduce in novel surroundings.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
The tendency to justify women’s chronic underpayment rather than address it reproduces inefficiencies that come at a high cost to America’s families, organizations and broader economy.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 26, 2026
First, there’s antigenic drift, which happens in the genes of the virus over time as the virus reproduces.
From Salon ● Jan. 8, 2026
Fun fact: In concert, she reproduces the lilting whistled interlude to perfection.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 18, 2025
"If you look at the observations and compare them with all the simulations, only the weakened-AMOC scenario reproduces the cooling in this one region."
From Science Daily ● Dec. 7, 2025
This photo is from a modern book that faithfully reproduces medieval recipes.
From "Sugar Changed the World: A Story of Magic, Spice, Slavery, Freedom, and Science" by Marc Aronson
"The Ukrainian army today relies to a large extent on volunteers," she said, arguing products therefore have to be "simple, clear and easily reproduced".
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
It was reproduced, placed in schoolrooms, used to illustrate history books, and utterly represents the spirit of 1776.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026
Monarch of the Glen is his most famous work, and one of the most recognisable and reproduced paintings in British art.
From BBC ● Jun. 16, 2026
According to researchers from the University of Cambridge, the way these ancient organisms reproduced limited competition and kept evolution moving at a remarkably slow pace for millions of years.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 10, 2026
Despite all this, Erastis estimated that they had reproduced only a small fraction of the Book.
From "The Reader" by Traci Chee
When one such difference happens to offer even a slight edge in surviving and reproducing, those who carry it tend to leave more offspring, who inherit it in turn.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026
The company said in response to the 2024 lawsuit that it stands by its technology and that it is “uninterested in reproducing content in our training set.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
By uncovering this natural "mix and match" system and reproducing its underlying principles in the laboratory, the researchers have established a new strategy for designing future cancer therapies.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 8, 2026
The idea is that when sterile flies are released into targeted areas, they wold mate with wild screwworm flies and prevent them from reproducing.
From Barron's ● Jun. 8, 2026
I knew them well of course by now, but had never studied them with a view to reproducing one of them as a fancy dress.
From "Rebecca" by Daphne du Maurier
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
