viviparous
adjective
vi·vip·a·rous
vī-ˈvi-p(ə-)rəs 
və-
və-
1
: producing living young instead of eggs from within the body in the manner of nearly all mammals, many reptiles, and a few fishes
2
: germinating while still attached to the parent plant
the viviparous seed of the mangrove
viviparously
adverb
Examples of viviparous in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
That said, a better destination for a viviparous tomato may be your garden bed rather than your caprese salad!
—
Dr. Nick Goltz, Hartford Courant, 24 May 2025
Certain types, such as oleander aphids, are viviparous (giving birth to live young) and parthenogenetic (giving birth without mating).
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 24 May 2025
This is a particular problem for viviparous sharks, which give birth to live young.
—Claudia Geib, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 June 2024
Sharks that give birth to live young are viviparous like humans.
—Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2024
All birds are oviparous, but some reptiles are viviparous, or give birth to live young.
—USA TODAY, 30 May 2023
To this day, the island has only a single native terrestrial reptile: the common or viviparous lizard, which must have arrived sometime in the past 10,000 years, following the end of the ice age.
—Marisa Sloan, Discover Magazine, 9 Mar. 2023
Or maybe the fossil of a viviparous archosaur is somewhere out there, just waiting to be found.
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 14 Feb. 2017
Obviously that's different than in viviparous Dinocephalosaurus.
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 14 Feb. 2017
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Dr. Nick Goltz, Hartford Courant, 24 May 2025
Certain types, such as oleander aphids, are viviparous (giving birth to live young) and parthenogenetic (giving birth without mating).
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 24 May 2025
This is a particular problem for viviparous sharks, which give birth to live young.
—Claudia Geib, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 June 2024
Sharks that give birth to live young are viviparous like humans.
—Olivia Munson, USA TODAY, 19 Mar. 2024
All birds are oviparous, but some reptiles are viviparous, or give birth to live young.
—USA TODAY, 30 May 2023
To this day, the island has only a single native terrestrial reptile: the common or viviparous lizard, which must have arrived sometime in the past 10,000 years, following the end of the ice age.
—Marisa Sloan, Discover Magazine, 9 Mar. 2023
Or maybe the fossil of a viviparous archosaur is somewhere out there, just waiting to be found.
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 14 Feb. 2017
Obviously that's different than in viviparous Dinocephalosaurus.
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 14 Feb. 2017
Cite this Entry
“Viviparous.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/viviparous. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
viviparous
adjective
vi·vip·a·rous
vī-ˈvip-(ə-)rəs
və-
: giving birth to living young from within the body rather than laying eggs
nearly all mammals and some reptiles are viviparous
Medical Definition
viviparous
adjective
vi·vip·a·rous
vī-ˈvip-(ə-)rəs
və-
və-
: producing living young instead of eggs from within the body in the manner of nearly all mammals, many reptiles, and a few fishes compare larviparous, oviparous, ovoviviparous
viviparously
adverb
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