viviparous
Americanadjective
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Zoology. bringing forth living young rather than eggs, as most mammals and some reptiles and fishes.
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Botany. producing seeds that germinate on the plant.
adjective
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(of animals) producing offspring that as embryos develop within and derive nourishment from the body of the female parent Compare oviparous ovoviviparous
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(of plants) producing bulbils or young plants instead of flowers
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(of seeds) germinating before separating from the parent plant
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Giving birth to living young that develop within the mother's body rather than hatching from eggs. All mammals except the monotremes are viviparous.
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Compare oviparous ovoviviparous
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of viviparous
First recorded in 1640–50, viviparous is from the Latin word vīviparus bringing forth living young. See vivi-, -parous
Compare meaning
How does viviparous compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
You didn't hatch from an egg, did you? That means you were born to a viviparous mother. The adjective viviparous describes something that gives birth to living things, rather than eggs. Breaking viviparous down into parts can help you understand its meaning. Vivi looks a lot like vivus, Latin for "alive." Parous comes from the Latin word parere, meaning "produce, bring forth, give birth to." To pronounce it correctly, say "VIE-vip-uh-rus." Then say "thank you" to your mother.
Vocabulary lists containing viviparous
Animals (Zoology) - Middle School
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Animals (Zoology) - High School
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Second Treatise of Government
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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.
A new study published in Frontiers in Mammal Science presents the first compelling evidence that at least some cynodonts may have been viviparous -- meaning they gave birth to live offspring.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 13, 2026
"It's a real prime area for the only native lizard that we get in Northern Ireland - the viviparous lizard," he added.
From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2025
A few species of sharks are viviparous, that is, the young develop within the mother’s body, and she gives live birth.
From Textbooks ● Apr. 25, 2013
Ungulates practise K-selection and are viviparous; Mesozoic dinosaurs seem to have been mostly r-selected, and of course they were oviparous nest-builders.
From Scientific American ● Jan. 5, 2012
And what made it worse was that, instead of tactfully ignoring it, Bernard proceeded to make open comments on this revoltingly viviparous scene.
From "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
