reproduce
gb/ɹˌipɹədˈus/ us/ɹˌipɹədˈus/
B2
English
~ 9900
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B2
action
1
make an exact copy of something
To make the same document, picture, sound, or text again as a copy.
Usage pattern:
to reproduce [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use "reproduce" when they only need the simple verb "produce" (e.g. saying "The factory reproduces cars" instead of "The factory produces cars"). Use "reproduce" when there is an original thing and you make an exact or close copy of it.
Synonyms
copy (The most general word; often sounds more everyday and less formal than "reproduce".)
|
duplicate (Stresses making a second, identical copy; often used in technical or office settings.)
Antonyms
destroy (If you destroy something, you remove or break it so it cannot be reproduced or used again, which is the opposite of copying it.)
Collocations
reproduce a document
|reproduce a photograph
|reproduce a sound
|reproduce text
|reproduce accurately
|cannot be reproduced
Themes
technology
|media
|work
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The printer can reproduce high-quality color images in just a few seconds.
- Without permission, you are not allowed to reproduce this article online.
- Modern speakers can accurately reproduce very deep bass sounds.
- The museum shop sells posters that faithfully reproduce the original painting.
- The file was damaged and could not be reproduced from the backup.
Learner examples
- This machine can reproduce the pages very quickly.
- The magazine reproduced the photo on its front cover.
- The CD player reproduces the music clearly.
- You must not reproduce this text without asking the writer.
- The camera reproduces colors very well.
Verb
technical
B2
action
2
produce offspring; have babies
When animals, plants, or people make new living things of the same kind (have babies or new plants grow).
Usage pattern:
[animals/plants/people] reproduce [sexually/asexually]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse "reproduce" with "grow" or "develop". "Reproduce" is about making new individuals (babies, seeds, new organisms), not just getting bigger or older.
Synonyms
breed (Commonly used about animals, especially when humans control how they reproduce.)
|
procreate (A formal word, often used about humans, meaning to have children.)
Antonyms
die out (If a species dies out, it no longer reproduces and disappears completely, which is the opposite of continuing to reproduce.)
Collocations
reproduce sexually
|reproduce asexually
|ability to reproduce
|reproduce rapidly
|reproduce in captivity
|fail to reproduce
Themes
biology
|nature
|family
|science
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- These insects reproduce so quickly that their numbers can double in a week.
- Many fish reproduce by laying thousands of eggs at one time.
- The panda has difficulty reproducing in captivity, which makes conservation challenging.
- Most flowering plants reproduce sexually using pollen and seeds.
- If a species cannot adapt and reproduce, it may eventually become extinct.
Learner examples
- Rabbits reproduce very fast.
- Most plants reproduce by seeds.
- Humans reproduce when a man and a woman have a baby.
- Some small animals reproduce many times each year.
- If animals cannot reproduce, their group becomes smaller.
Verb
C1
action
3
produce the same result again
To make the same result or effect happen again, like when you do an experiment or performance a second time and it is the same as before.
Usage pattern:
to reproduce [results/effect/conditions/behavior]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use only "repeat" in scientific or technical contexts where English speakers prefer "reproduce" or "replicate" to show that the result is the same, not just that the action is done again.
Synonyms
replicate (Often used in science to mean to repeat an experiment or result exactly and get the same outcome.)
|
repeat (A more general term for doing something again; it does not always suggest that the result is exactly the same.)
Antonyms
fail to reproduce (Describes the situation where the same result or effect does not happen again, which is the opposite of successfully reproducing it.)
Collocations
reproduce the results
|reproduce the findings
|reproduce the conditions
|unable to reproduce
|reliably reproduce
|reproduce the experiment
Themes
science
|work
|technology
|education
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The study was criticized because other scientists could not reproduce its results.
- We tried to reproduce the conditions of the original test in our own lab.
- The team was able to reproduce the same error on a different computer.
- Magicians often make it hard for others to reproduce their tricks.
- Once you know the recipe, you can easily reproduce the dish at home.
Learner examples
- Other scientists must reproduce the results of the study.
- We tried to reproduce the test in our school lab.
- He wants to reproduce the same success in a new project.
- They could not reproduce the problem on another phone.
- She hopes to reproduce this good result next year.
Grammar
Dictionary form
reproduce
IPA
GB/ɹˌipɹədˈus/
US/ɹˌipɹədˈus/
Syllables & stress
re - pro - duce (3 syllables)
Stress on 3rd syllable (duce)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: reproduce
- 3rd Person Singular: reproduces
- Present Participle: reproducing
- Past: reproduced
Word family
Forms
reproduces
verb
reproducing
verb
reproduced
verb
Core family
Related words
reproducibility
noun C1
reproductively
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
irreproducible
adjective
Expressions
No expressions linked to this entry yet.