generate

verb

gen·​er·​ate ˈje-nə-ˌrāt How to pronounce generate (audio)
generated; generating; generates

transitive verb

1
: to bring into existence: such as
b
: to create by means of a defined process : produce
generate electricity
generating profits/growth
images generated by a computer
2
: to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind)
These stories … generate a good deal of psychological suspense …Atlantic
3
: to define or originate (something, such as a mathematical or linguistic set or structure) by the application of one or more rules or operations
especially : to trace out (something, such as a curve) by a moving point or to trace out (a surface) by a moving curve

Examples of generate in a Sentence

windmills used to generate electricity This business should generate a lot of revenue. We hope to generate some new ideas at the meeting. His theories have generated a great deal of interest among other scientists. Her comments have generated a good deal of excitement. They have been unable to generate much support for their proposals.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Infrastructure leaders need to be able to calculate the cloud cost to understand the gross profit generated by a sale. Sergey Avdyushkin, Forbes.com, 6 June 2025 Getty Images Entertainment | Getty Images While states have used health-care provider taxes to generate funding for Medicaid, the House proposal would put a stop to using those levies in the future, Orris said. Greg Iacurci,lorie Konish, CNBC, 6 June 2025 Of course, using AI models for intelligence analysis raises concerns about confabulation, where the models generate plausible-sounding, inaccurate information. ArsTechnica, 6 June 2025 Through the conference finals, Disney and TNT Sports have generated $344.8 million in sales revenue, per EDO Ad EnGage estimates, flat versus the analogous period in 2024. Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 6 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for generate

Word History

Etymology

Latin generatus, past participle of generare, from gener-, genus descent, birth — more at kin

First Known Use

1509, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of generate was in 1509

Cite this Entry

“Generate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/generate. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

generate

verb
gen·​er·​ate ˈjen-ə-ˌrāt How to pronounce generate (audio)
generated; generating
1
: to bring into existence
generate electricity
2
: to be the cause of or reason for
news that generated excitement
generative
-ə-ˌrāt-iv
-(ə-)rət-
adjective

Medical Definition

generate

verb
gen·​er·​ate ˈjen-ə-ˌrāt How to pronounce generate (audio)
generated; generating

transitive verb

: to bring into existence
especially : procreate
generate innumerable offspring

intransitive verb

: to produce offspring : propagate

More from Merriam-Webster on generate

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