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

In the wild, cats faced the challenge of limited prey, which favored only the most skilled hunters for survival and reproduction. —Michael Gfoeller and David H. Rundell, Newsweek, 14 Jan. 2025

Here, a reproduction of the article that ran in Women’s Wear Daily on July 20, 1956, including Dior’s thoughts on the WWD’s support of him and its succinct coverage of all things informing the fashion industry 365 days of the year. —Wwd Staff, WWD, 10 Jan. 2025

While the epaulette shark is not likely to become a land-dwelling creature, its ability to move between aquatic and semi-aquatic environments demonstrates how species evolve to exploit different ecological niches, increasing their chances of survival and reproduction. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 8 Jan. 2025

Last night, Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster, who may or may not have left their spouses for each other, made their paparazzi-walk debut in a People-magazine exclusive that makes reproduction of the photo punishable by law (only kind of joking). —Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 7 Jan. 2025

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