reproduction

noun

re·​pro·​duc·​tion ˌrē-prə-ˈdək-shən 

1

: the act or process of reproducing

specifically : the process by which plants and animals give rise to offspring and which fundamentally consists of the segregation of a portion of the parental body by a sexual or an asexual process and its subsequent growth and differentiation into a new individual

2

: something reproduced : copy

3

: young seedling trees in a forest

Synonyms

• carbon
• carbon copy
• clone
• copy
• dummy
• dupe
• duplicate
• duplication
• facsimile
• imitation
• mock
• reduplication
• replica
• replication

Choose the Right Synonym for reproduction

reproduction, duplicate, copy, facsimile, replica mean a thing made to closely resemble another.

reproduction implies an exact or close imitation of an existing thing.

reproductions from the museum's furniture collection

duplicate implies a double or counterpart exactly corresponding to another thing.

a duplicate of a house key

copy applies especially to one of a number of things reproduced mechanically.

printed 1000 copies of the lithograph

facsimile suggests a close reproduction often of graphic matter that may differ in scale.

a facsimile of a rare book

replica implies the exact reproduction of a particular item in all details

a replica of the Mayflower

but not always in the same scale.

miniature replicas of classic cars

Examples of reproduction in a Sentence

the mass reproduction of fine art

a reproduction of the painting

Recent Examples on the Web

Florence, with its rich Renaissance heritage, attracts art buyers seeking original masterpieces or high-quality reproductions. —Rebecca Ann Hughes, Forbes, 20 Dec. 2024

The authors are also excited to return to the field next summer to see what impact, if any, this year’s vole hunting may have had on squirrel reproduction compared to the last 10 years. —Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 18 Dec. 2024

Every year like clockwork, trees across a stretch of 1,500 kilometers, from England to Italy, synchronize their reproduction in a spectacle known as masting. —Quanta Magazine, 18 Dec. 2024

Sidestepping the legal and medical questions around reproduction did not mean that feminists saw the practice of menstrual extraction as apolitical. —Christen Hammock Jones / Made By History, TIME, 9 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1640, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing reproduction

• reproduction proof

Kids Definition

reproduction

noun

re·​pro·​duc·​tion ˌrē-prə-ˈdək-shən 

1

: the act or process of reproducing

especially : the process by which plants and animals produce offspring

2

: something reproduced : copy

Medical Definition

reproduction

noun

re·​pro·​duc·​tion ˌrē-prə-ˈdək-shən 

: the act or process of reproducing

specifically : the process by which plants and animals give rise to offspring and which fundamentally consists of the segregation of a portion of the parental body by a sexual or an asexual process and its subsequent growth and differentiation into a new individual