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
If conditions are not spot-on, seeds will languish in the soil for weeks or may not germinate at all.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Jan. 2026
Preproduction This is the brainstorming part, when ideas are germinated and tested, leading to new paths and hopefully the kinds of gems that actually end up in the basis of your eventual story.
—Paul Ratner, Interesting Engineering, 26 Jan. 2026
The package may also suggest an optimal soil temperature for seeds to germinate.
—Kerry Michaels, The Spruce, 21 Jan. 2026
Some factors common to many invasive plants include rapid growth and early maturity, production of many seeds, wide dispersal of seeds by birds and wind, seeds that germinate quickly, few natural enemies, and an ability to reproduce vegetatively.
—Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for germinate
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Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Jan. 2026
Preproduction This is the brainstorming part, when ideas are germinated and tested, leading to new paths and hopefully the kinds of gems that actually end up in the basis of your eventual story.
—Paul Ratner, Interesting Engineering, 26 Jan. 2026
The package may also suggest an optimal soil temperature for seeds to germinate.
—Kerry Michaels, The Spruce, 21 Jan. 2026
Some factors common to many invasive plants include rapid growth and early maturity, production of many seeds, wide dispersal of seeds by birds and wind, seeds that germinate quickly, few natural enemies, and an ability to reproduce vegetatively.
—Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 18 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for germinate
Cite this Entry
“Germinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/germinate. Accessed 30 Jan. 2026.
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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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