self-replicating
Americanadjective
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reproducing itself by its own power or inherent nature.
self-replicating organisms.
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Genetics. making an exact copy or copies of itself, as a strand of DNA.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of self-replicating
First recorded in 1955–60
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.
The theory may also have relevance for future self-replicating AI systems.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 25, 2026
But mirror bacteria, which would be living organisms capable of self-replicating, not just little bits of protein, are what Kay and his fellow scientists are concerned about.
From Salon ● Jan. 18, 2025
Showing the legislators how ChatGPT could concoct an entirely convincing senator’s speech, Altman told them that A.I. should be blocked from self-replicating or escaping into the wild.
From Slate ● Jun. 8, 2023
The device uses self-replicating microorganisms to turn scraps into compost.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 6, 2023
I deposited Laleh in the kitchen with Mamou, who tried to feed Sohrab more Nowruz leftovers—it seemed they were self-replicating, and we might never run out—before we left again.
From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram
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.
