breeding

noun

breed·​ing ˈbrē-diŋ 

1

: the action or process of bearing or generating

2

: ancestry

3

a

archaic : education

… she had her breeding at my father's charge.

—William Shakespeare

b

: training in or observance of the customs and manners of polite society

4

: the sexual propagation of plants or animals

Synonyms of breeding

• lineage
• ancestry
• pedigree
• origin
• genealogy
• family

Examples of breeding in a Sentence

She became involved in the breeding of sled dogs.

His politeness shows good breeding.

a person who lacks breeding

Recent Examples on the Web

To learn that zoos will be trafficking the sloths to other zoos and be used in breeding is abhorrent. —Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026

The program is part of a broader effort by conservation teams to control the Burmese python population in the Everglades, where the invasive snakes have established a permanent breeding population and reduced some native mammal species by as much as 99%. —Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 28 Apr. 2026

Burmese pythons are an invasive species that established a permanent breeding population in South Florida, according to the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. —Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 28 Apr. 2026

Michigan was home to about 900 breeding pairs of bald eagles in 2023, according to Bird Chronicle. —Paula Wethington, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing breeding

• breeding ground
• breeding season
• selective breeding

Rhymes for breeding

• beading
• bleeding
• ceding
• feeding
• heeding
• kneading
• leading
• needing
• pleading
• reding
• seeding
• speeding

Kids Definition

breeding

noun

breed·​ing

1

: ancestry sense 1

2

: training especially in manners

3

: the producing and raising of plants or animals by sexual reproduction