reproduce

American  

[ree-pruh-doos, -dyoos] / ˌri prəˈdus, -ˈdyus /

verb (used with object)

reproduced, reproducing

1. to make a copy, representation, duplicate, or close imitation of.

   to reproduce a picture.

2. to produce again or anew by natural process.

   to reproduce a severed branch.

3. Biology. to produce one or more other individuals of (a given kind of organism) by some process of generation or propagation, sexual or asexual.

   Synonyms:

   beget, propagate, generate

4. to cause or foster the reproduction of (organisms).

5. to produce, form, make, or bring about again or anew in any manner.

   Synonyms:

   repeat

6. to recall to the mind or have a mental image of (a past incident, scene, etc.), as by the aid of memory or imagination.

7. to produce again, as a play produced at an earlier time.

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verb (used without object)

reproduced, reproducing

1. to reproduce its kind, as an organism; propagate; bear offspring.

2. to turn out in a given manner when copied.

   This picture will reproduce well.

reproduce British  

/ ˌriːprəˈdjuːs /

verb

1. to make a copy, representation, or imitation of; duplicate

2. (also intr) biology to undergo or cause to undergo a process of reproduction

3. to produce or exhibit again

4. to bring back into existence again; re-create

5. to bring before the mind again (a scene, event, etc) through memory or imagination

6. (intr) to come out (well, badly, etc), when copied

7. to replace (damaged parts or organs) by a process of natural growth; regenerate

8. to cause (a sound or television recording) to be heard or seen

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Related Words

See imitate.

Other Word Forms

• reproducer noun
• reproducibility noun
• reproducible adjective
• reproducibly adverb
• self-reproducing adjective

Etymology

Origin of reproduce

First recorded in 1605–15; re- + produce

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.

Example Sentences

Native to South America, nutrias were originally brought to the U.S. in the early 1900s to breed and reproduce for a fur trade that was never successful.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

Flooding allowed the fish to escape into the Mississippi Basin, and to reproduce at rates that have overpowered native species.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

Earlier versions of Medvedev's model could reproduce the striped pattern, but they failed to match the strong contrast seen in real observations.

From Science Daily • Mar. 28, 2026

They annihilated France but couldn't reproduce anything like that performance in Dublin.

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

Mostly these errors would have been such that the new macromolecule could not reproduce itself and eventually would have been destroyed.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking

Related Words

• clone
• copy
• duplicate
• emulate
• imitate
• mirror
• photocopy
• portray
• print
• recreate
• reflect
• repeat
• replicate
• reprint