procreate
Americanverb (used with object)
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to beget or generate (offspring).
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to produce; bring into being.
verb (used without object)
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to beget offspring.
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to produce; bring into being.
verb
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to beget or engender (offspring)
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(tr) to bring into being
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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procreationnoun
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procreativenessnoun
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procreatornoun
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nonprocreativeadjective
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procreantadjective
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procreativeadjective
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unprocreatedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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procreatesimple
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procreatessimple
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have procreatedperfect
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has procreatedperfect
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am procreatingprogressive
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are procreatingprogressive
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is procreatingprogressive
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have been procreatingperfect progressive
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has been procreatingperfect progressive
Past
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procreatedsimple
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had procreatedperfect
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was procreatingprogressive
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were procreatingprogressive
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had been procreatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of procreate
First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin prōcreātus, past participle of prōcreāre “to breed”; see pro- 1, create
Explanation
To procreate is to reproduce. In other words, to procreate is a more formal way of saying "making babies." Notice the word create in procreate? That's a clue that this word is about making something, in this case, making more creatures. In biology, procreation is typically called reproduction. All forms of procreating result in more critters like the originals. Your parents procreated, or you wouldn't be here.
Vocabulary lists containing procreate
"The Tragedy of Macbeth," Vocabulary from Act 1
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Dumplin'
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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.
Finally, to bring the day to a close, a senior monk gives a rousing speech, reminding the participants of their duty to procreate, before breaking into the national anthem.
From BBC • Jul. 10, 2026
The “aspirational vision of masculinity” Mr. Galloway offers is old school, centered around reviving men’s capacity to protect, provide and procreate.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 9, 2025
The pressure to procreate comes from so many directions I’m considering pitching a “Walking Dead” spinoff where the child free are the living and everyone else are zombies trying to turn us.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 8, 2024
State laws can be lacking in addressing the nuances of parental relationships and the right to procreate, as the Heidemann case appears to suggest.
From New York Times • Mar. 16, 2023
There are only a few who really make it out and stay out, while the rest of us drink, procreate, and go to church, and that seems to be enough to keep us afloat.
From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy
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.
