reproduce

reproduce — verb

1. to make a version of a picture, sound recording, or piece of writing that closel

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

to make a version of a picture, sound recording, or piece of writing that closely matches the original, or to bring back a particular feeling, mood, or atmosphere that existed before.

Example

Imran reproduced the Renaissance painting so precisely that even experts admired his skill.

reproduce + adverb (precisely/accurately) for copy quality

The engineers cleaned up the old recording to reproduce the folk singer's voice more clearly.

reproduce + noun phrase (sound/recording)

Common collocations
  • reproduce an image
  • reproduce a photograph
  • reproduce a sound
  • reproduce a document
  • reproduce an atmosphere
  • reproduce accurately
  • reproduce faithfully
  • reproduce perfectly
Synonyms
  • copy

    more general and mechanical; can refer to any duplication without emphasis on accuracy

  • replicate

    more formal and scientific, especially for experiments or data

  • duplicate

    emphasises making an exact second copy, often identical in form

  • recreate

    focuses on reviving a feeling, mood, or experience rather than a physical object

Antonyms
  • destroy

    to completely remove or ruin something so it cannot be copied

  • erase

    to remove recorded material so it cannot be played back or copied

Grammar Patterns

reproduce + noun phrase (copy of image/sound/document)

reproduce + adverb (accurately/faithfully/perfectly)

noun phrase + reproduces + adverb (intransitive quality)

Usage Note

Common with adverbs such as 'accurately', 'faithfully', 'perfectly', and 'precisely' to describe how well a copy matches the original. When used intransitively, the subject is typically the medium or device doing the reproduction: 'This scanner reproduces well.'

Common Mistakes

The artist reproduced a new painting from scratch.
The artist reproduced a copy of the original painting.
'reproduce' means making a copy of something that already exists, not creating something new.

2. to do something again or achieve something again, for example by carrying out a

2.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to do something again or achieve something again, for example by carrying out a scientific test for a second time or by creating the same successful outcome in a different situation.

Example

The biology team tried several times to reproduce the experiment but got different results.

try + to reproduce + noun (experiment/results)

After months of practice, Mira finally reproduced the gymnastics routine she had created years earlier.

time phrase + reproduce + noun (routine/performance)

Common collocations
  • reproduce a result
  • reproduce an experiment
  • reproduce a success
  • reproduce conditions
  • reproduce a performance
  • unable to reproduce
  • failed to reproduce
Synonyms
  • repeat

    simpler and more general; can refer to any action done again without requiring precision

  • replicate

    more formal, strongly associated with scientific experiments and verifiable results

  • recreate

    emphasises the creative or performative aspect of producing something similar

Antonyms
  • fail

    to be unable to achieve the same result again

Grammar Patterns

reproduce + noun phrase (result/success/experiment/conditions)

try/attempt/hope + to reproduce + noun phrase

be unable to reproduce + noun phrase

Usage Note

Very common in academic and research contexts when discussing scientific experiments and the need for results to be replicable. Can also apply to artistic performances, sporting achievements, or any repeatable outcome.

Common Mistakes

The team reproduced the experiment for the first time.
The team reproduced the experiment to check whether the first results were accurate.
'reproduce' in this sense implies doing something again, not doing it for the first time.

3. when an animal, plant, or other living thing produces young or new members of it

3.verbtransitive / intransitiveB2
Definition

when an animal, plant, or other living thing produces young or new members of its own species, continuing its kind from one generation to the next.

Example

Sea turtles return to the beach where they were born to reproduce each year.

intransitive: living thing + reproduces + purpose clause

The botanist explained that many fern species reproduce through tiny spores rather than seeds.

reproduce + through [means]

Common collocations
  • reproduce sexually
  • reproduce asexually
  • reproduce rapidly
  • reproduce by division
  • reproduce through spores
  • reproduce offspring
  • reproduce itself
Synonyms
  • breed

    more common for domestic animals or pets; implies intentional pairing

  • multiply

    focuses on increase in number rather than the process of producing offspring

  • propagate

    more formal; often used for plants or in scientific writing

  • procreate

    almost exclusively for humans; more formal and often used in moral or legal contexts

Antonyms
  • die out

    to become extinct as a species through failure to reproduce

  • become extinct

    to cease to exist as a group because no offspring are produced

Grammar Patterns

living thing + reproduces (intransitive)

living thing + reproduces + itself (reflexive)

reproduce + by/through + gerund/noun (means)

reproduce + adverb (rapidly/sexually/asexually)

Usage Note

Frequently used with adverbs describing the rate or method of reproduction ('rapidly', 'sexually', 'asexually'). The reflexive form 'reproduce itself' is common when the organism is the subject and the offspring are not explicitly named.

Common Mistakes

The doctor said the disease reproduces in the body.
The doctor said the virus reproduces inside the body by entering healthy cells.
'reproduce' is natural for micro-organisms, but the sentence needs a specific agent (virus, bacteria) to be precise.

Word family

  • reproduction
    nounB2
  • reproductive
    adjectiveB2
  • reproducible
    adjectiveC1
  • reproducibility
    nounC1
  • reproduced
    adjectiveB2
  • reproducer
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words involve making something that resembles an original, but they differ in exactness and context. 'Copy' is the most general term and can range from a quick photocopy to a careful imitation; it does not strongly suggest identical quality. 'Duplicate' implies an exact second version — identical in every detail — and is often used for documents, keys, or data files. 'Replicate' is more formal and strongly associated with scientific experiments and verifiable research; it emphasises following a method to obtain the same outcome. 'Recreate' focuses on reviving an experience, mood, or atmosphere rather than producing a physical twin: you recreate a feeling, not a document. For example, a student may 'copy' notes from a friend, a lab may 'replicate' a study to confirm findings, and a chef may 'recreate' a dish from a restaurant trip at home.

copy ↗duplicate ↗replicate ↗recreate ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • reproduce in large numbers
  • reproduce under controlled conditions
  • reproduce the conditions of
  • reproduce the results of

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Reproduce comes from the Latin prefix 're-' (meaning 'again') and 'producere' (meaning 'to bring forth, produce'). The word entered English in the early 1600s with the general meaning of 'produce again.' By the mid-1600s it had taken on the biological sense of producing offspring, and by the 1800s it had acquired the mechanical and artistic sense of making copies or recreations.