# progeny

/ˈpɹɑdʒəni/ (US) · /pɹˈɒdʒənˌi/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/progeny
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. offspring

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal · Technical

the children of a person or the young of an animal.

For teachers: the immediate offspring or descendants of a person, animal, or plant. Uncountable when referring to a group.

- The proud bird spent the afternoon feeding its hungry progeny in the nest.
- The study tracked the genetic traits passed from the original subjects to their progeny over three generations.

Usage: Often used in biological or legal contexts to refer to a group of descendants.

### 2. creative result

noun · CEFR C2 · Literary · Formal

the result of a creative work or a new idea.

For teachers: a result, product, or outcome of a creative or intellectual effort. Used figuratively.

- The new smartphone is the progeny of years of secret research.
- Many modern film tropes are the direct progeny of early twentieth-century German Expressionism.

Teaching tip: This figurative sense is rare; learners should use 'result' or 'product' in most professional contexts.

## Examples

- The scientist studied the progeny of the rare plant.
- The zookeepers carefully monitored the progeny of the two endangered tigers to ensure they were healthy.
- While the original population was small, the progeny of the initial survivors eventually diversified into several distinct species as they adapted to different environmental pressures.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.