reproduction

American  

[ree-pruh-duhk-shuhn] / ˌri prəˈdʌk ʃən /

noun

• reproductions
  plural

1. the act or process of reproducing.

2. the state of being reproduced.

3. something made by reproducing an original; copy; duplicate.

   a photographic reproduction; a reproduction of a Roman vase.

   Synonyms:

   facsimile, replica

4. Biology. the natural process among organisms by which new individuals are generated and the species perpetuated.

   Synonyms:

   propagation, generation

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reproduction British  

/ ˌriːprəˈdʌkʃən /

noun

1. biology any of various processes, either sexual or asexual, by which an animal or plant produces one or more individuals similar to itself

2. 1. an imitation or facsimile of a work of art, esp of a picture made by photoengraving

   2. Sometimes shortened to: repro. ( as modifier )

      a reproduction portrait

3. the quality of sound from an audio system

   this amplifier gives excellent reproduction

4. the act or process of reproducing

5. the state of being reproduced

6. a revival of an earlier production, as of a play

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reproduction Scientific  

/ rē′prə-dŭk′shən /

1. The process by which cells and organisms produce other cells and organisms of the same kind.

2. ◆ The reproduction of organisms by the union of male and female reproductive cells (gametes) is called sexual reproduction. Many unicellular and most multicellular organisms reproduce sexually.

3. ◆ Reproduction in which offspring are produced by a single parent, without the union of reproductive cells, is called asexual reproduction. The fission (splitting) of bacterial cells and the cells of multicellular organisms by mitosis is a form of asexual reproduction, as is the budding of yeast cells and the generation of clones by runners in plants. Many plants and fungi are capable of reproducing both sexually and asexually, as are some animals, such as sponges and aphids.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonreproduction
  noun
• self-reproduction
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• reproductions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of reproduction

First recorded in 1650–60; re- + production

Explanation

A reproduction of a painting is a copy of the original that looks just like it. The act of reproduction involves making copies or having babies. We won't get into the birds and the bees, but reproduction is the sexual activity of producing offspring, also known as procreation. But reproduction isn't just the act of making babies. It can involve making copies or replications. Similarly, a reproduction is an identical version of something, often artwork. There are many reproductions of Picasso's paintings but in every case, there is only one original and it's worth far more than all the copies combined.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

reproduction reproductions

The exhibition brings together original Giger artwork depicting the alien egg and an original facehugger from the 1979 film, the spidery parasite whose method of reproduction helped make “Alien” a landmark of body horror.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026

After Rivington Arms shuttered in 2009, she started helping her father with various projects, including the reproduction of two of his notebooks.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

Circled by a verdant reproduction of an enchanted forest, and dressed in a black swan-like two-piece by Ann Demeulemeester, Zardoya held the audience captive with her purring soprano and vampy stare.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026

"The unusually high temperatures we experienced during that period were likely to have disrupted its normal growth and reproduction".

From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026

During reproduction, the helices separate, assisted by a special unwinding protein, each synthesizing an identical copy of the other from nucleotide building blocks floating about nearby in the viscous liquid of the cell nucleus.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

They are contained in this book, and illustrated with 250 color reproductions of art.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

In the early 2000s, Norrbotten accounted for roughly two-thirds of all documented wolverine reproductions in Sweden.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 1, 2026

"By registering specific phrases tied to her voice, Swift could potentially challenge not only identical reproductions, but also imitations that are 'confusingly similar,' a key standard in trademark law," he wrote.

From BBC ● Apr. 27, 2026

The show opened with a series of violet, green and silver sequined tops in a 1920s style -- reproductions of a bodice designed by early 20th-century French designer Paul Poiret who Anderson namechecked as inspiration.

From Barron's ● Jan. 21, 2026

Prints are not unique images but multiple reproductions made by mechanical means.

From "History of Art, Volume 1" by H.W. Janson

Related Words

• breeding
• copy
• facsimile
• imitation
• photocopy
• photograph
• picture
• print
• propagation
• recreation
• replica
• replication