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Synonyms

procreate

American  
[proh-kree-eyt] / ˈproʊ kriˌeɪt /

verb (used with object)

procreates, present (3rd person singular) procreated, past participle, past procreating present participle
  1. to beget or generate (offspring).

  2. to produce; bring into being.


verb (used without object)

procreates, present (3rd person singular) procreated, past participle, past procreating present participle
  1. to beget offspring.

  2. to produce; bring into being.

procreate British  
/ ˈprəʊkrɪˌeɪt /

verb

  1. to beget or engender (offspring)

  2. (tr) to bring into being

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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Etymology

Origin of procreate

First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin prōcreātus, past participle of prōcreāre “to breed”; see pro- 1, create

Explanation

To procreate is to reproduce. In other words, to procreate is a more formal way of saying "making babies." Notice the word create in procreate? That's a clue that this word is about making something, in this case, making more creatures. In biology, procreation is typically called reproduction. All forms of procreating result in more critters like the originals. Your parents procreated, or you wouldn't be here.

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Vocabulary lists containing procreate

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Finally, to bring the day to a close, a senior monk gives a rousing speech, reminding the participants of their duty to procreate, before breaking into the national anthem.

From BBC Jul. 10, 2026

Courts across the country struggle with whether one person’s right to procreate outweighs another’s right to not become a parent against their will.

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 23, 2025

“We don’t procreate enough to keep our population up,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times Dec. 12, 2024

Wildlife biologists hope the bears would then procreate.

From Seattle Times Nov. 11, 2023

There are only a few who really make it out and stay out, while the rest of us drink, procreate, and go to church, and that seems to be enough to keep us afloat.

From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy

This is especially true of A. aegypti, because it procreates more rapidly and spreads more aggressively than triatomines.

From Nature Mar. 15, 2016

Especially in a world of insatiable electronic storytelling, real history procreates, endlessly conjuring new versions of itself.

From Time Magazine Archive

The Law as the husband of the fruitful woman procreates many children.

From Commentary on the Epistle to the Galatians by Graebner, Theodore

He that procreates a person, he that rescues a person, and he that assigns the means of sustenance to a person are regarded as the three sires.

From The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa, Volume 4 Books 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 by Ganguli, Kisari Mohan

The snake with its tail in its mouth is the cycle of the libido, the always rolling wheel of life, of procreation, which always procreates itself, and of the creation of the world.

From Hidden Symbolism of Alchemy and the Occult Arts by Jelliffe, Smith Ely

Now that those resistant bed bugs have survived and procreated, humans are the ones who must adapt.

From Salon Mar. 13, 2024

The second, more damning letter, reads like a manifesto and notes that "persistence procreated the resistance."

From Fox News May 21, 2019

Any American who has ever procreated knows what a racket the baby industry is.

From Time Dec. 1, 2014

Do we look at men who have somehow not procreated as missing out? 

From Slate Apr. 26, 2012

I. Two universal spheres proceed from the Lord to preserve the universe in its created State; of which the one is the sphere of procreating, and the other the sphere of protecting the things procreated.

From The Delights of Wisdom Pertaining to Conjugial Love by Swedenborg, Emanuel

In this case, Patterson said, her client has a strong interest in avoiding procreating against his will.

From Seattle Times May 9, 2024

Musk appears concerned about under-population: He's worried there won't be enough people to colonize Mars, and that wealthy people aren't procreating enough.

From Salon Jul. 17, 2022

Great news that the latest version of the National Arboretum eagles are settled and procreating.

From Washington Post Mar. 18, 2022

My wife, obviously, for procreating with me and being such a good life partner.

From New York Times Feb. 3, 2022

But they also light up when the brain interprets something as pleasurable, even if the behavior doesn’t appear to have the survival value of, say, eating or procreating.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

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