engender

verb

en·​gen·​der in-ˈjen-dər How to pronounce engender (audio)
en-
engendered; engendering in-ˈjen-d(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce engender (audio)
en-

transitive verb

1
2
: to cause to exist or to develop : produce
policies that have engendered controversy

intransitive verb

: to assume form : originate

Did you know?

A good paragraph about engender will engender understanding in the reader. Like its synonym generate, engender comes from the Latin verb generare, meaning “to generate” or “to beget,” and when the word was first used in the 14th century, engender meant “propagate” or “procreate.” That literal meaning having to do with creating offspring (which generate shared when it was adopted in the early 16th century) was soon joined by the “to cause to exist or develop; to produce” meaning most familiar to us today. Generare didn’t just engender generate and engender; regenerate, degenerate, and generation have the same Latin root. As you might suspect, the list of engender relatives does not end there. Generare comes from the Latin noun genus, meaning “origin” or “kind.” From this source we took our own word genus, plus gender, general, and generic, among other words.

Examples of engender in a Sentence

The issue has engendered a considerable amount of debate. a suggestion to go out for pizza that didn't seem to engender any interest
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Like many other industrialized nations, Japan in the 1930s turned to fascism and the construction of autarkic economic empires as a solution to the instabilities engendered by capitalist modernity. Waiyee Loh, JSTOR Daily, 2 July 2025 Argentina’s Boca have a seductive madness about them, engendered by their colossal support. Phil Hay, New York Times, 17 June 2025 In any event, migration tends to engender further movement. Robert O. Keohane, Foreign Affairs, 2 June 2025 Both have engendered a loyalty in their audiences which verges on the religious. Eric Lach, New Yorker, 8 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for engender

Word History

Etymology

Middle English engendren, from Anglo-French engendrer, from Latin ingenerare, from in- + generare to generate

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of engender was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Engender.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/engender. Accessed 14 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

engender

verb
en·​gen·​der in-ˈjen-dər How to pronounce engender (audio)
engendered; engendering -d(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce engender (audio)
1
: to reproduce offspring
2
: to be the source or cause of : produce
tensions that engender emotional conflicts

More from Merriam-Webster on engender

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