wellspring

noun

well·​spring ˈwel-ˌspriŋ 

: a source of continual supply

a wellspring of information

Synonyms of wellspring

• source
• cradle
• fountain

Examples of wellspring in a Sentence

The tour guide was a wellspring of information.

the nation's colleges and universities were a wellspring for political activism and unrest

Recent Examples on the Web

Its steam tables have remained a wellspring of Bangladeshi cooking for decades, though Ibrahim stepped away from the business in the early 2000s after his first child was born. — Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026

Philbrick, who is seventy years old, has lived for the past four decades on Nantucket, a home that has doubled as the wellspring of his career. — Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026

Spending two years writing his autobiography, the 2023 bestseller Scattershot, and working on a forthcoming documentary, unleashed a creative wellspring in Bernie Taupin. — Melinda Newman, Billboard, 22 Oct. 2026

Here, nestled between oak trees and yucca plants in the Holy Cross neighborhood, Hollywell found a place to live and turned it into a creative wellspring. — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 21 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for wellspring

• bowstring
• coiling
• downswing
• drawstring
• forewing
• hamstring
• lapwing
• mainspring
• offspring
• plaything
• shoestring
• texting

Kids Definition

wellspring

noun

well·​spring ˈwel-ˌspriŋ 

1

: a source of continual supply

2

: fountainhead sense 1