reproduction
Americannoun
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reproductions
plural
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the act or process of reproducing.
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the state of being reproduced.
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something made by reproducing an original; copy; duplicate.
a photographic reproduction; a reproduction of a Roman vase.
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Biology. the natural process among organisms by which new individuals are generated and the species perpetuated.
- Synonyms:
- propagation, generation
noun
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biology any of various processes, either sexual or asexual, by which an animal or plant produces one or more individuals similar to itself
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an imitation or facsimile of a work of art, esp of a picture made by photoengraving
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Sometimes shortened to: repro. ( as modifier )
a reproduction portrait
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the quality of sound from an audio system
this amplifier gives excellent reproduction
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the act or process of reproducing
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the state of being reproduced
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a revival of an earlier production, as of a play
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The process by which cells and organisms produce other cells and organisms of the same kind.
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◆ 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.
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◆ 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.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing reproduction
Power Prefix: re-
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Word Generation Science - Life Science
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Genetics - Inheritance and Variation of Traits
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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.
See Examples For:
"The unusually high temperatures we experienced during that period were likely to have disrupted its normal growth and reproduction".
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
The models incorporate aspects of animal physiology related to energy intake and reproduction.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 9, 2026
If SAM is essential for lanternfly reproduction, interfering with the material might offer a highly specific way to control the species.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 6, 2026
Their yearly reproduction depended on elusive environmental factors, the author writes, “unlike other extractive industries such as tin or jade, where ‘X marks the spot’ could hold over a period of years or decades.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Many Herbs, shrubs, and trees of forests and range depend on native insects for their reproduction; without these plants many wild animals and range stock would find little food.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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
Among the latter is one based on the museum’s holdings that used a handheld scanner to copy items in its collection and that blurs the lines between original objects and reproductions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 7, 2025
People elbow in to take photos of the most reproduced painting in the world; their photos are worse than the reproductions.
From "The Mona Lisa Vanishes" by Nicholas Day
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.
