germinate
verb
ger·mi·nate
ˈjər-mə-ˌnāt 
germinated; germinating
: to cause to sprout or develop
1
: to come into being : evolve
… before Western civilization began to germinate …—
A. L. Kroeber
A. L. Kroeber2
: to begin to grow : sprout
waiting for the seeds to germinate
Examples of germinate in a Sentence
methods used by gardeners to germinate seeds
Recent Examples on the Web
The idea for Netflix House has been germinating at the company for years, Chief Marketing Officer Marian Lee told USA TODAY at the site, just a week before the attraction was set to open in suburban Philadelphia.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 9 Nov. 2025
Carrot seeds sown in the ground need consistent moisture to germinate reliably and even growth requires perfectly uniform soil so as not to develop twisted shapes or forked roots.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2025
Weil’s anti-inflammatory message has germinated across the internet in tweets, podcasts, and YouTube Shorts.
—Jason Liebowitz, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
In many areas, fall is also a great time for sowing overwintering seeds of half-hardy annuals like calendula and nigella that need a winter chilling period (stratification) to germinate.
—Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for germinate
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Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 9 Nov. 2025
Carrot seeds sown in the ground need consistent moisture to germinate reliably and even growth requires perfectly uniform soil so as not to develop twisted shapes or forked roots.
—Joshua Siskin, Oc Register, 7 Nov. 2025
Weil’s anti-inflammatory message has germinated across the internet in tweets, podcasts, and YouTube Shorts.
—Jason Liebowitz, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025
In many areas, fall is also a great time for sowing overwintering seeds of half-hardy annuals like calendula and nigella that need a winter chilling period (stratification) to germinate.
—Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for germinate
Cite this Entry
“Germinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/germinate. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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Medical Definition
germinate
verb
ger·mi·nate
ˈjər-mə-ˌnāt
germinated; germinating
: to cause to sprout or develop
: to begin to grow : sprout
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