offspring
noun
off·spring
ˈȯf-ˌspriŋ 
plural offspring also offsprings
1
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
Anthony Hopkins2
b
: offshoot sense 1a
… you can hear this Caribbean club music, a hard-edged and party-heavy offspring of reggae …—Lorraine Ali
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
His wife Margaret was the offspring of a viticulturist, John Adlum, whose vineyard on the banks of Rock Creek drew admirers like Thomas Jefferson and John Adams.
—Robert Draper, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
The offspring will be separated to allow for observation by aquarium staff.
—Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
In other words, black holes are supposed to be the offspring of supermassive stars, not the other way around.
—Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 8 Apr. 2024
Either way, scientists determined the animal was the rare offspring of a polar bear that mated with a grizzly, and as the Arctic melts and polar bears increasingly move on land, sightings of these hybrids are on the rise.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024
The miniscule creature is the offspring of parent baboons Kodee and Kusa.
—John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2024
Many have happened serendipitously in captivity, such as the liger, the massive offspring of a male lion and female tiger.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Mar. 2024
Sunday’s Vanity Fair Oscar party brought out the most fashionable families in Hollywood, including Demi Moore and her gorgeous offspring.
—Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024
After Thursday's Lakers win over the Washington Wizards 134-131 in overtime, James suggested reaching 40,000 is another metaphorical offspring of his career — precious, but not nearly as significant as his first-born, besting Abdul-Jabbar's total.
—Dennis Romero, NBC News, 3 Mar. 2024
Robert Draper, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
The offspring will be separated to allow for observation by aquarium staff.
—Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 12 Apr. 2024
In other words, black holes are supposed to be the offspring of supermassive stars, not the other way around.
—Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 8 Apr. 2024
Either way, scientists determined the animal was the rare offspring of a polar bear that mated with a grizzly, and as the Arctic melts and polar bears increasingly move on land, sightings of these hybrids are on the rise.
—Ella Nilsen, CNN, 6 Apr. 2024
The miniscule creature is the offspring of parent baboons Kodee and Kusa.
—John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2024
Many have happened serendipitously in captivity, such as the liger, the massive offspring of a male lion and female tiger.
—Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Mar. 2024
Sunday’s Vanity Fair Oscar party brought out the most fashionable families in Hollywood, including Demi Moore and her gorgeous offspring.
—Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024
After Thursday's Lakers win over the Washington Wizards 134-131 in overtime, James suggested reaching 40,000 is another metaphorical offspring of his career — precious, but not nearly as significant as his first-born, besting Abdul-Jabbar's total.
—Dennis Romero, NBC News, 3 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'offspring.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Offspring.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/offspring. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
offspring
noun
off·spring
ˈȯf-ˌspriŋ
plural offspring also offsprings
: the young of a person, animal, or plant
Medical Definition
offspring
noun
off·spring
ˈȯf-ˌspriŋ
plural offspring also offsprings
: the progeny of an animal or plant : young
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