progeny
- 01 C1 Advanced
the children of a person or the young of an animal.
the immediate offspring or descendants of a person, animal, or plant. Uncountable when referring to a group.
Simple“The proud bird spent the afternoon feeding its hungry progeny in the nest.”
In context“The study tracked the genetic traits passed from the original subjects to their progeny over three generations.”
UsageOften used in biological or legal contexts to refer to a group of descendants.
Synonyms - 02 C2 Proficiency
the result of a creative work or a new idea.
a result, product, or outcome of a creative or intellectual effort. Used figuratively.
Simple“The new smartphone is the progeny of years of secret research.”
In context“Many modern film tropes are the direct progeny of early twentieth-century German Expressionism.”
Teacher's tipThis figurative sense is rare; learners should use 'result' or 'product' in most professional contexts.
From Middle English progenie, from Old French progenie, from Latin prōgeniēs, from prōgignō (“beget”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.