beget

verb

be·​get bi-ˈget How to pronounce beget (audio)
bē-
begot bi-ˈgät How to pronounce beget (audio)
bē-
also begat bi-ˈgat How to pronounce beget (audio)
bē-
; begotten bi-ˈgä-tᵊn How to pronounce beget (audio)
bē-
or begot; begetting

transitive verb

1
: to procreate as the father : sire
He died without begetting an heir.
2
: to produce especially as an effect or outgrowth
Violence only begets more violence.
begetter noun

Examples of beget in a Sentence

He died without begetting an heir. one change in the natural environment will beget others
Recent Examples on the Web These big business changes often beget confusion and uncertainty, both externally and internally. Anne-Marie Rosser, Forbes, 15 Oct. 2024 Failing to respond with force to an aggressive action can invite greater provocation, but so, too, can responding with force beget further escalation. Mona Yacoubian, Foreign Affairs, 3 Oct. 2024 Not all books written with this formula are propaganda, but clear-messaging fiction begets clearer-messaging reading. Yiyun Li, Harper's Magazine, 23 Sep. 2024 The time of the Tea Party, whose symbol was a snake, begat stories of Mitt Romney strapping the family dog Seamus to the roof of his car, and an adolescent Obama sampling dog meat while living in Indonesia. Zach Helfand, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for beget 

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

Word History

Etymology

Middle English begeten, beyeten, going back to Old English begietan "to get, beget," from be- be- + gietan "to get entry 1"

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of beget was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near beget

Cite this Entry

“Beget.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beget. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

beget

verb
be·​get bi-ˈget How to pronounce beget (audio)
begot -ˈgät How to pronounce beget (audio) also begat -ˈgat How to pronounce beget (audio) ; begotten -ˈgät-ᵊn How to pronounce beget (audio) or begot; begetting
1
: to become the father of
2
begetter noun

More from Merriam-Webster on beget

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