offspring

noun

ˈȯf-ˌspriŋ How to pronounce offspring (audio)
Definition of offspringnext
as in fruit
the descendants of a person, animal, or plant the racehorse's offspring all proved to be very good racers as well the couple celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary surrounded by three generations of offspring

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of offspring Chinese officials, White House senior staff, Cabinet members, Trump offspring, congressional GOP leaders and several members of the Supreme Court also are in attendance. — Dominic Patten, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2026 Peaches later birthed offspring ranging in color from brown to orange and blue, allowing researchers the unusual opportunity to study how these rare colorations may be inherited. — Moná Thomas, PEOPLE, 24 Sep. 2026 Mama Bear #284 (aka Electra) is part of a bear lineage that teaches their offspring a clever fishing style. — Popular Science Team, Popular Science, 22 Sep. 2026 Millennial mothers and fathers in the United States spend more time tending to their offspring than Gen X-ers did. — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for offspring
Recent Examples of Synonyms for offspring
  1. fruit
  2. progeny
  3. seed
  4. child
  5. family
  6. posterity
Noun
  • Today, the resort’s Kuilima Farm grows many of the same fruits and vegetables that were cultivated as part of the traditional ahupua’a.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • The partners plan to develop 20 pilot projects over the next two to three years, supporting sustainable fishing, agriculture and fruit-processing businesses.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of fruit
Noun
  • Otherwise, genetic defects might start to crop up among the progeny and threaten their survivability.
    — Shi En Kim, AZCentral.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Others criticized them for often being the progeny of Asian mothers and white fathers, as though this were somehow their fault.
    — E. Alex Jung, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of progeny
Noun
  • The chain also has a page on its website dedicated to its transition away from seed oils and its efforts to provide more natural ingredients.
    — Sadie Chafe, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Earlier this month, Corteva spun out its seed business into Vylor, with the aim of prioritizing its agricultural chemical business.
    — Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of seed
Noun
  • The dramatic lighting and wax museums are just spooky enough to summon the spirit of the witch trials without being off-putting for children.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Oct. 2026
  • In total, the UK spent £145 billion on benefits for working-age people and children – including incapacity and disability benefits (£77 billion); housing benefit (£37 billion); and child benefit (£13 billion).
    — The Week UK, TheWeek, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of child
Noun
  • The family described the teen as a fearless, curious and deeply imaginative young man with an ambitious spirit who inspired those around him.
    — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Directed by Shen Chunyang and written by Ma Duo, the satirical family feature stars real-life comedic couple Shen Chunyang and Xiao Shenyang alongside Jia Bing and Yu Yang.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of family
Noun
  • That act of baring himself is worthy of being preserved for posterity.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Presenter Zane Lowe has conducted loads of candid interviews with new and established musicians, and the company's Los Angeles studio has captured dozens of memorable performances for posterity.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of posterity

Browse Nearby Words

offshore
offspring
offstage
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Offspring.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/offspring. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of inscrutable

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 9

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
a cup of tea and a golf ball on tee side by side
Quiz: Sounds Like... Choose the word that sounds like it fits the clue...
See All