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 Damage control begat more reason for damage control. Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 14 Mar. 2024 At the Flora-Bama, everyone’s welcome, and for many folks, their first pilgrimage to this sprawling shack on the beach begets a second one—and maybe a hundred more after that. Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 6 Mar. 2024 Warring factions within cities and between cities begat more scandals, more corruption. Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 Ash Wednesday occurs approximately six weeks before Easter Sunday — the resurrection of the Christian savior and begotten son of God, Jesus Christ. Maeghan Dolph, Fox News, 14 Feb. 2024 There’s an adage that moviegoing begets moviegoing, though exhibitors fear that some of these blockbuster hopefuls don’t have enough of a runway beyond opening weekend. Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 24 Oct. 2023 Within them, the doc traces the illogic of military force and shows how violence only begets more violence. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 Dec. 2023 And in the ultimate exemplification of how an endless stream of content begets pernicious bunkum, John McPhail’s Dear David is arguably the most brainless release of the year. Nicholas Bell, SPIN, 5 Dec. 2023 Shedding 250 pounds instantly, Sherman adopts an alter ego named Buddy Love, whose arrogance begets chaos. James Mercadante, Ilana Gordon, EW.com, 22 Sep. 2023

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 28 Mar. 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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