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
Some seeds, like those of red maids, soaproot, mariposa lily, island manzanita and chamise, are called fire-followers and need heat or smoke of fire to germinate.
—Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
Rainfall helps grass seeds germinate, but too much rain can wash seeds away or deter germination.
—Peg Aloi, The Spruce, 17 Feb. 2026
The moment when the idea first germinated.
—Arpon Basu, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026
Some pepper varieties, particularly hot ones, can take up to six weeks to germinate.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for germinate
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.
Nollyanne Delacruz, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
Rainfall helps grass seeds germinate, but too much rain can wash seeds away or deter germination.
—Peg Aloi, The Spruce, 17 Feb. 2026
The moment when the idea first germinated.
—Arpon Basu, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2026
Some pepper varieties, particularly hot ones, can take up to six weeks to germinate.
—Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 14 Feb. 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 19 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
germinate
verb
ger·mi·nate
ˈjər-mə-ˌnāt
germinated; germinating
: to cause to sprout or develop
: to begin to grow : sprout
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
