Breeding — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈbrē-diŋ/ breed·ing

Meaning & Definition of Breeding

Breeding (noun)

  1. the action or process of bearing or generating
  2. ancestry
  3. education

Breeding (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. the line of ancestors from whom a person is descended

    "a family of good breeding that is well respected in the community"

    similar: ancestry, birth, blood, bloodline, descent, extraction, family tree, genealogy, line, lineage, origin, parentage, pedigree, stock, strain
    related: heredity, succession, family, house, kin, kindred, relations, relatives, race (archaic)
    opposite: issue, posterity, progeny, seed
    near: offspring, child, heir, inheritor, son, successor

Breeding (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to bring forth offspring

    "rabbits will breed very frequently unless they're kept separated"

    similar: multiplying, procreating, propagating, reproducing
    related: bearing, begetting, engendering, gendering, generating, getting, having, mothering, parenting, producing, siring, hatching, spawning

  2. to bring to maturity through care and education

    "he was bred to a life in the military by his father, himself an army captain"

    similar: bringing up, fostering, nourishing, nursing, raising, rearing
    related: fathering, mothering, attending, caring (for), cradling, cultivating, minding, ministering (to), nurturing, watching, disciplining, educating, instructing, mentoring, schooling, teaching, training, tutoring, edifying, enlightening, indoctrinating, feeding, providing (for), supplying, advancing, forwarding, furthering, promoting, preparing, directing, guiding, leading, shepherding, showing
    near: abusing, ill-treating, ill-using, maltreating, mishandling, mistreating, ignoring, neglecting, harming, hurting, injuring

  3. to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind)

    "this habit of favoring one employee over the others will breed resentment"

    similar: begetting, bringing, bringing about, bringing on, catalyzing, causing, creating, doing, drawing on, effecting, effectuating, engendering, generating, inducing, invoking, making, occasioning, producing, prompting, resulting (in), spawning, translating (into), working, yielding, bringing forth, giving rise to
    related: conducing (to), contributing (to), deciding, determining, beginning, establishing, fathering, founding, inaugurating, initiating, innovating, instituting, introducing, launching, pioneering, setting, setting up, starting, advancing, cultivating, developing, encouraging, forwarding, fostering, furthering, nourishing, nurturing, promoting, enacting, rendering, turning out
    near: impeding, limiting, restricting, clamping down (on), cracking down (on), crushing, dampening, putting down, quashing, quelling, repressing, smothering, squashing, squelching, stifling, subduing, suppressing, arresting, checking, controlling, curbing, inhibiting, reining (in), restraining, retarding, canning (slang), killing, snuffing (out), stilling, abolishing, demolishing, destroying, extinguishing, liquidating, quenching

  4. to engage in sexual intercourse

    "cats breeding outside our window made a horrible racket last night"

    similar: copulating, mating, sleeping, doing it, having sex
    related: fooling around, fornicating

  5. to set permanently in the consciousness or mind-set

    "parents who breed in their children a deep respect for people of all classes"

    similar: enrooting, implanting, inculcating, infixing, inseminating, instilling, planting, sowing
    related: driving, hammering, pounding, embedding, entrenching, fixing, lodging, rooting, imbuing, infusing, ingraining, inoculating, investing, steeping, suffusing

Related Entry: Breed (verb)

Breed is a different word from Breeding. The synonyms below are for breed, not for breeding.

  1. to bring forth offspring

    "rabbits will breed very frequently unless they're kept separated"

    similar: multiply, procreate, propagate, reproduce
    related: bear, beget, engender, gender, generate, get, have, mother, parent, produce, sire, hatch, spawn

  2. to bring to maturity through care and education

    "he was bred to a life in the military by his father, himself an army captain"

    similar: bring up, foster, nourish, nurse, raise, rear
    related: father, mother, attend, care (for), cradle, cultivate, mind, minister (to), nurture, watch, discipline, educate, instruct, mentor, school, teach, train, tutor, edify, enlighten, indoctrinate, feed, provide (for), supply, advance, forward, further, promote, prepare, direct, guide, lead, shepherd, show
    near: abuse, ill-treat, ill-use, maltreat, mishandle, mistreat, ignore, neglect, harm, hurt, injure

  3. to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind)

    "this habit of favoring one employee over the others will breed resentment"

    similar: beget, bring, bring about, bring on, catalyze, cause, create, do, draw on, effect, effectuate, engender, generate, induce, invoke, make, occasion, produce, prompt, result (in), spawn, translate (into), work, yield, bring forth, give rise to
    related: conduce (to), contribute (to), decide, determine, begin, establish, father, found, inaugurate, initiate, innovate, institute, introduce, launch, pioneer, set, set up, start, advance, cultivate, develop, encourage, forward, foster, further, nourish, nurture, promote, enact, render, turn out
    near: impede, limit, restrict, clamp down (on), crack down (on), crush, dampen, put down, quash, quell, repress, smother, squash, squelch, stifle, subdue, suppress, arrest, check, control, curb, inhibit, rein (in), restrain, retard, can (slang), kill, snuff (out), still, abolish, demolish, destroy, extinguish, liquidate, quench

  4. to engage in sexual intercourse

    "cats breeding outside our window made a horrible racket last night"

    similar: copulate, mate, sleep, do it, have sex
    related: fool around, fornicate

  5. to set permanently in the consciousness or mind-set

    "parents who breed in their children a deep respect for people of all classes"

    similar: enroot, implant, inculcate, infix, inseminate, instill, plant, sow
    related: drive, hammer, pound, embed, entrench, fix, lodge, root, imbue, infuse, ingrain, inoculate, invest, steep, suffuse

Related Entry: Breeding ground (noun)

Breeding ground is a different word from Breeding. The synonyms below are for breeding ground, not for breeding.

  1. a place or environment that favors the development of something

    "unwashed skin is a breeding ground for bacteria"

    similar: hotbed, hothouse, nest, nidus, nursery, seedbed, seminary
    related: crucible, base, capital, center, core, cynosure, eye, focus, heart, hub, mecca, nucleus, seat, headquarters

Related Entry: Breeding grounds (noun)

Breeding grounds is a different word from Breeding. The synonyms below are for breeding grounds, not for breeding.

  1. a place or environment that favors the development of something

    "unwashed skin is a breeding ground for bacteria"

    similar: hotbeds, hothouses, nests, nidi, nurseries, seedbeds, seminaries
    related: crucibles, bases, capitals, centers, cores, cynosures, eyes, foci, hearts, hubs, meccas, nuclei, seats, headquarters

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Breeding

The most common words with a similar meaning to Breeding:

ancestry, birth, blood, bloodline, descent, extraction, family tree, genealogy, line, lineage, origin, parentage, pedigree, stock, strain, multiplying, procreating, propagating, reproducing, bringing up, fostering, nourishing, nursing, raising, rearing, begetting, bringing, bringing about, bringing on, catalyzing, causing, creating, doing, drawing on, effecting, effectuating, engendering, generating, inducing, invoking

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Breeding

Words with the opposite meaning of Breeding:

issue, posterity, progeny, seed

Related Words for Breeding

heredity, succession, family, house, kin, kindred, relations, relatives, race, bearing, gendering, getting, having, mothering, parenting, siring, hatching, fathering, attending, caring (for), cradling, cultivating, minding, ministering (to), nurturing, watching, disciplining, educating, instructing, mentoring

Near Antonyms of Breeding

offspring, child, heir, inheritor, son, successor, abusing, ill-treating, ill-using, maltreating, mishandling, mistreating, ignoring, neglecting, harming, hurting, injuring, impeding, limiting, restricting, clamping down (on), cracking down (on), crushing, dampening, putting down, quashing, quelling, repressing, smothering, squashing

Origin & Etymology of Breeding

First known use: 14th century

Words & Phrases Containing Breeding

breeding ground, breeding season, selective breeding

Frequently Asked Questions about Breeding

What does "Breeding" mean?

"Breeding" means the action or process of bearing or generating. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: the action or process of bearing or generating. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Breeding"?

Other words for "Breeding" include ancestry, birth, blood, bloodline, descent, extraction, family tree and genealogy. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Breeding" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Breeding"?

There are 153 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Breeding". Common alternatives include ancestry, birth, blood, bloodline, descent, extraction, family tree, genealogy, line and lineage.

What is the opposite of "Breeding"?

Antonyms of "Breeding" include issue, posterity, progeny and seed. Near antonyms include offspring, child, heir and inheritor.

How do you use "Breeding" in a sentence?

Examples of "Breeding" in a sentence: "a family of good breeding that is well respected in the community"; "rabbits will breed very frequently unless they're kept separated"; "he was bred to a life in the military by his father, himself an army captain".

Is "Breeding" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Breeding" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

How do you pronounce "Breeding"?

"Breeding" is pronounced /ˈbrē-diŋ/ and divided into syllables as breed·ing.

What is the origin of the word "Breeding"?

First known use: 14th century.