1
as in source
a point or place at which something is invented or provided
historically, California has served as the fountainhead of that eclectic group of self-actualization movements known as the New Age
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2
as in origin
the source from which something grows or develops
a collection of lyrical ballads that became the fountainhead of a literary revolution
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Recent Examples of fountainhead
Trump’s aggressive acts were red meat for those who view California as the fountainhead of permissive behavior.
—
Dan Walters, Mercury News, 11 June 2025
On the day of the Belvedere's dedication, hundreds of students from Louisville schools released balloons into the sky and watched as fountainheads sprayed water in a dazzling display.
—Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 1 Mar. 2025
In the same fashion, the free university, historically the fountainhead of free ideas and scientific discovery, has experienced a revolution in the conduct of research.
—Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
This suggests that Americans will witness more than Band-Aid fixes, that with his election mandate and a Republican majority in Congress, Trump will overhaul the education system into a fountainhead of moral and academic excellence.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 13 Nov. 2024
Boards rarely know how the company actually works: The CEO is usually the fountainhead of all information to the board.
—Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024
From tea drinking to persimmon cultivation, the city became a fountainhead of Japanese food culture.
—Megan Zhang, Saveur, 9 May 2024
The patriarch, the fountainhead, is Eli McCullough, born the same day that Texas became a state, a hard man forged through fire.
—Chris Vognar, Chron, 28 May 2023
Stoic happiness, like Stoic everything else, makes internal calm its fountainhead.
—Tom Bissell, Harper’s Magazine , 10 Apr. 2023
Dan Walters, Mercury News, 11 June 2025
On the day of the Belvedere's dedication, hundreds of students from Louisville schools released balloons into the sky and watched as fountainheads sprayed water in a dazzling display.
—Leo Bertucci, Louisville Courier Journal, 1 Mar. 2025
In the same fashion, the free university, historically the fountainhead of free ideas and scientific discovery, has experienced a revolution in the conduct of research.
—Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 6 Feb. 2025
This suggests that Americans will witness more than Band-Aid fixes, that with his election mandate and a Republican majority in Congress, Trump will overhaul the education system into a fountainhead of moral and academic excellence.
—Reader Commentary, Baltimore Sun, 13 Nov. 2024
Boards rarely know how the company actually works: The CEO is usually the fountainhead of all information to the board.
—Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes, 11 Oct. 2024
From tea drinking to persimmon cultivation, the city became a fountainhead of Japanese food culture.
—Megan Zhang, Saveur, 9 May 2024
The patriarch, the fountainhead, is Eli McCullough, born the same day that Texas became a state, a hard man forged through fire.
—Chris Vognar, Chron, 28 May 2023
Stoic happiness, like Stoic everything else, makes internal calm its fountainhead.
—Tom Bissell, Harper’s Magazine , 10 Apr. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fountainhead
Noun
-
Some workers, whose programs have alternative funding sources, continue to be paid on time.—
Miranda Jeyaretnam,
Time,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Add PCMag as a preferred source on Google.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
8 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The third phase materialized over the last year and a half, and delves deeper into origin.—
Okla Jones,
Essence,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Working on these inward-looking songs has allowed Teasdale and Chambers to feel less hemmed in by their origin story, one that was drawn early on by the press and then chiseled in stone.—
Sophie Williams,
Billboard,
10 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
In the photos, Travis can be seen down on one knee as Swift cradles his face in the sweet moment.—
Natalia Senanayake,
PEOPLE,
3 Oct. 2025
-
During the negotiations between Obama and Raúl, there was still the idea that somehow parts of the revolution—its socialist project—could be saved, and that Cuba could somehow transmogrify into a fairer, more modern place with a social cradle.—
Caroline Mimbs Nyce,
New Yorker,
29 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Although his own roots are Baptist, the North Little Rock native is no stranger to the Methodist hymnal.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
11 Oct. 2025
-
That legacy hasn’t faded, but the region feels freshly alive these days as chefs, artists, and creative entrepreneurs put down roots.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The immersive set at Chanel, the movie that opened the show at Dior, the cinematic quality of Haider Ackerman’s Tom Ford show, Rick Owens’ models wading through the Palais de Tokyo fountain, and the use of digital projections to create an immersive, layered visual environment at Alaïa.—
Rhonda Richford,
Footwear News,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Gardens are found throughout the city, and none is complete without a burbling fountain.—
Fiona Mozley,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Fields would find the end zone a third time at the beginning of the second quarter, giving the Eagles a commanding 19-0 advantage over Southwest.—
Raul Avila,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 Oct. 2025
-
As format developers from around the world continue to seek inspiration from The Traitors, the show that signaled the beginning of a new generation looks set to stay in the thick of conversation on the Croisette.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
9 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fountainhead.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fountainhead. Accessed 12 Oct. 2025.
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