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.
Their analysis — which involved examining genetic data and 25 years’ worth of photos — revealed that just 7% of male humpbacks showed evidence of having sired offspring. Brendan Rascius, Miami Herald, 10 Jan. 2025 An orca who carried her dead calf’s body for weeks has lost another offspring. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2025 Accusing Donald Trump of Violating Christian Values Orca Who Carried Dead Calf 1,000 Miles Gives Birth Again Iris and a male hippo named Corwin have had three female offspring together in the past four and a half years, including the newborn hippo. Tom Rogers, Newsweek, 26 Dec. 2024 The result, strangely enough, is immunity for the queen’s offspring. Amy Feldman, Forbes, 23 Dec. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near offspring

Cite this Entry

“Offspring.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/offspring. Accessed 22 Jan. 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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!