beget

verb

be·​get bi-ˈget 

bē-

begot bi-ˈgät 

bē-

also begat bi-ˈgat 

bē-

; begotten bi-ˈgä-tᵊn 

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

Synonyms of beget

• create
• cause
• generate
• bring
• produce
• prompt
• do
• spawn

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

But this concentration of top-level talent in the league’s biggest markets has beget another apparent crisis for baseball. — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 26 Oct. 2026

Big midterm wins can beget big healthcare wins The classic pattern in American elections is that more voters go to the polls during presidential campaigns than during the midterm elections when only House and Senate seats are on the ballot. — Dylan Scott, Vox, 22 Oct. 2026

The event might beget an ecological collapse or perhaps a mass extinction event. — Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Non-consensually posted intimate images can devastate women – and beget male bonding. — Brittany Luse, NPR, 19 Oct. 2026

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

Rhymes for beget

• abet
• asset
• baguette
• banquette
• barbette
• beset
• binet
• briquette
• brunet
• brunette
• burette
• cadet

Kids Definition

beget

verb

be·​get bi-ˈget 

begot -ˈgät  also begat -ˈgat  ; begotten -ˈgät-ᵊn  or begot; begetting

1

: to become the father of

2

: cause entry 2

begetter noun