originate

verb

orig·​i·​nate ə-ˈri-jə-ˌnāt How to pronounce originate (audio)
originated; originating

intransitive verb

: to take or have origin : begin
That board game originated in the 1940s.

transitive verb

: to give rise to : initiate
The composer originated 10 songs for the Broadway musical.
origination noun
Choose the Right Synonym for originate

spring, arise, rise, originate, derive, flow, issue, emanate, proceed, stem mean to come up or out of something into existence.

spring implies rapid or sudden emerging.

an idea that springs to mind

arise and rise may both convey the fact of coming into existence or notice but rise often stresses gradual growth or ascent.

new questions have arisen
slowly rose to prominence

originate implies a definite source or starting point.

the fire originated in the basement

derive implies a prior existence in another form.

the holiday derives from an ancient Roman feast

flow adds to spring a suggestion of abundance or ease of inception.

words flowed easily from her pen

issue suggests emerging from confinement through an outlet.

blood issued from the cut

emanate applies to the coming of something immaterial (such as a thought) from a source.

reports emanating from the capital

proceed stresses place of origin, derivation, parentage, or logical cause.

advice that proceeds from the best of intentions

stem implies originating by dividing or branching off from something as an outgrowth or subordinate development.

industries stemming from space research

Examples of originate in a Sentence

These stories originated during earlier times. The book originated as a series of lectures. The sound seemed to originate from outside the room. The custom is believed to have originated in the western U.S. He did not originate the idea. The policy was originated by the previous administration.
Recent Examples on the Web Second Stage Theater opened it on April 25 at the Hayes without a prior run, marking Lange’s first time originating a role on Broadway (following A Streetcar Named Desire in 1992, The Glass Menagerie in 2005 and her Tony-winning Long Day's Journey into Night in 2016). Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 30 May 2024 In some cases, this can happen when the water originates from an unregulated well – some cities get their drinking water from a mix of surface and groundwater – or through cracked pipes. Jordan Gass-Pooré, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 May 2024 Unlike the electric Clarity, which originated as a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle and was also configured as a plug-in hybrid, the Prologue was designed from the ground up as a competent BEV. Peter Douglas, The Mercury News, 29 May 2024 There, Kroemer originated the concept of the heterostructure bipolar transistor (HBT), a device that contains differing semiconductor materials for the emitter and base regions, creating a heterojunction. IEEE Spectrum, 28 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for originate 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'originate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1668, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of originate was in 1668

Dictionary Entries Near originate

Cite this Entry

“Originate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/originate. Accessed 7 Jun. 2024.

Kids Definition

originate

verb
orig·​i·​nate ə-ˈrij-ə-ˌnāt How to pronounce originate (audio)
originated; originating
1
: to bring into existence : cause to be : initiate, invent
2
: to come into existence : arise
origination noun
originator noun

Legal Definition

originate

verb
orig·​i·​nate ə-ˈri-jə-ˌnāt How to pronounce originate (audio)
originated; originating

transitive verb

: to give rise to
specifically : to issue (a mortgage loan) usually for subsequent sale in a pool of mortgage loans to a secondary market compare service

intransitive verb

: to take or have origin
origination noun
originator noun

More from Merriam-Webster on originate

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