offspring

noun

off·​spring ˈȯf-ˌspriŋ How to pronounce offspring (audio)
plural offspring also offsprings
1
a
: the product of the reproductive processes of a person, animal, or plant : young, progeny
The disease can be transmitted from parent to offspring.
b
: the immediate descendant of a person or animal : an individual born of a parent
gave birth to a single offspring
"… He was becoming irascible as well, impatient—with me especially, because I was his only offspring [=child]. …"Anthony Hopkins
2
a
: product, result
… scholarly manuscripts—the labored offsprings of PhDs …Donna Martin
… the substitution of the typewriter and its offspring for the author's own hand.Jacques Barzun
b
: offshoot sense 1a
… you can hear this Caribbean club music, a hard-edged and party-heavy offspring of reggae …Lorraine Ali

Examples of offspring in a Sentence

The show is about two couples and the adventures of their rebellious offspring. The colt is the offspring of two racing champions.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Svalbard polar bear mothers also stuck by their offspring for an average of 2.5 years. Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 28 Feb. 2025 Again, autobiography surfaces — Hackman, through his two marriages and three offspring, acquired and avidly refurbished an array of houses, notably in California’s Montecito and New Mexico’s Santa Fe. Fred Schruers, IndieWire, 27 Feb. 2025 Female flies are targeted specifically, because their maternal instincts are exploited: the bigger the corpse, the better the resource for their offspring. Grrlscientist, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025 Interestingly, however, this time the actor dons the primate prosthetics as Caesar, Cornelius and Zira’s rebellion-leading offspring and the inspiration for Andy Serkis’ character in the recent reboot trilogy. Matt Cabral, EW.com, 23 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for offspring

Word History

Etymology

Middle English ofspring, from Old English, from of off + springan to spring

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of offspring was before the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Offspring.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/offspring. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

offspring

noun
off·​spring ˈȯf-ˌspriŋ How to pronounce offspring (audio)
plural offspring also offsprings
: the young of a person, animal, or plant

Medical Definition

offspring

noun
off·​spring ˈȯf-ˌspriŋ How to pronounce offspring (audio)
plural offspring also offsprings
: the progeny of an animal or plant : young

More from Merriam-Webster on offspring

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