engender

play

verb en·gen·der \in-ˈjen-dər, en-\

Simple Definition of engender

: to be the source or cause of (something)

Source: Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary

Full Definition of engender

engendered

engendering

play \-d(ə-)riŋ\

transitive verb
1 : beget, procreate
2 : to cause to exist or to develop : produce <policies that have engendered controversy>
intransitive verb
: to assume form : originate

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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>

Did You Know?

When "engender" was first used in the 14th century, it meant "propagate" or "procreate," but extended meanings soon developed. "Engender" comes from the Latin verb generare, which means "to generate" or "to beget." "Generate," "regenerate," "degenerate," and "generation" are of course related to the Latin verb as well. As you might suspect, the list of "engender" relatives does not end there. "Generare" comes from the Latin noun genus, meaning "birth," "race," or "kind." From this source we have our own word genus, plus "gender," "general," and "generic," among other words.