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Synonyms

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.


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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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

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.

As bees and hummingbirds move from one flower to another, feeding on nectar while helping plants reproduce, they are also consuming something unexpected: small amounts of alcohol.

From Science Daily • Mar. 25, 2026

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

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

Could you explain how those actively reproduce class and racial hierarchies?

From Salon • Mar. 6, 2026

At higher elevations, many nematode species reproduce asexually.

From Science Daily • Mar. 2, 2026

In addition to the HeLa-mouse hybrid, Harris fused HeLa with chicken cells that had lost their ability to reproduce.

From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot