Reproductive

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˌɹiːpɹəˈdʌktɪv/

Definitions

1. relating to or involved in the process of producing offspring or new individuals of a species
2. pertaining to the biological mechanisms and functions that enable the generation of offspring or the continuation of a species' lineage
3. connected to the physiological processes that facilitate the creation of new life and the propagation of species

Etymology: "Reproductive" is built plainly from "re-" and "productive," with the sense of producing again. "Productive" comes from Latin "productivus," meaning serving to bring forth or produce, formed from "producere," to lead or bring forward. The "re-" prefix adds the idea of making something anew, so a reproductive process is one that brings forth again, generating offspring that carry on the line. The biological sense grew out of the older general meaning of "reproduce," which could describe copying or recreating anything, such as an image or a sound. Applied to living things, the word narrowed to the producing of new individuals, and the adjective followed that narrowing.

Synonyms: breeding, procreative, fertile, generative, productive

Antonyms: sterile, infertile, barren, unproductive, nonproductive