| Replicator | |
|---|---|
| Star Trek franchise element | |
| First appearance | Star Trek: The Next Generation |
| Created by | Gene Roddenberry |
| Genre | Science fiction |
| In-universe information | |
| Type | Matter converter |
| Function | Synthesis of organic and inorganic materials via rearrangement of subatomic particles |
| Affiliation | Starfleet |
In Star Trek a replicator is a machine that can create (and recycle) things. Replicators were originally seen to simply synthesize meals on demand, but in later series much larger non-food items appear. The technical aspects of replicated versus "real" things is sometimes a plot element.