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

• breed
• bring
• bring about
• bring on
• catalyze
• cause
• create
• do
• draw on
• effect
• effectuate
• engender
• generate
• induce
• invoke
• make
• occasion
• produce
• prompt
• result (in)
• spawn
• translate (into)
• work
• yield

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

A day with Cash4Life, Powerball, Florida Lotto and Fantasy 5 drawings begat one jackpot win, split between tickets bought at a Miramar discount store and a North Miami Beach Winn-Dixie. —David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2025

But violence, as The Last of Us II teaches us, begets violence...which begets violence...which begets violence. —Eliana Dockterman, Time, 13 Apr. 2025

Devastation begat devastation, as the ecological dominoes began to fall. —Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 11 Apr. 2025

The company is a first-mover advantage, but that advantage begets complexity. —Brian Roberts, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2025

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
• brevet
• 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