originate

verb

orig·i·nate | \ə-ˈri-jə-ˌnāt

originated; originating

Definition of originate

transitive verb

: to give rise to : initiate The composer originated 10 songs for the Broadway musical.

intransitive verb

: to take or have origin : begin That board game originated in the 1940s.

Other Words from originate Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about originate

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Choose the Right Synonym for originate

spring, arise, rise, originate, derive, flow, issue, emanate, proceed, stem mean to come up or out of something into existence. spring implies rapid or sudden emerging. an idea that springs to mind arise and rise may both convey the fact of coming into existence or notice but rise often stresses gradual growth or ascent. new questions have arisen slowly rose to prominence originate implies a definite source or starting point. the fire originated in the basement derive implies a prior existence in another form. the holiday derives from an ancient Roman feast flow adds to spring a suggestion of abundance or ease of inception. words flowed easily from her pen issue suggests emerging from confinement through an outlet. blood issued from the cut emanate applies to the coming of something immaterial (such as a thought) from a source. reports emanating from the capital proceed stresses place of origin, derivation, parentage, or logical cause. advice that proceeds from the best of intentions stem implies originating by dividing or branching off from something as an outgrowth or subordinate development. industries stemming from space research

Examples of originate in a Sentence

These stories originated during earlier times. The book originated as a series of lectures. The sound seemed to originate from outside the room. The custom is believed to have originated in the western U.S. He did not originate the idea. The policy was originated by the previous administration.

Recent Examples on the Web

According to research published Thursday in the journal Science, IceCube sent out alerts to more than a dozen observatories around the globe, directing their attention to the region in the sky where the neutrino was thought to have originated. — Eoin O'carroll, The Christian Science Monitor, "Neutrino demonstration heralds a new way of observing the cosmos," 12 July 2018 This claim from Trump appears to have originated with a hard-line Iranian cleric who opposes the Iran deal. — Salvador Rizzo, Washington Post, "Trump claims Obama gave citizenship to 2,500 Iranians during nuclear deal talks," 4 July 2018 The video appears to have originated from a 7-on-7 high school football camp in Bradenton, Florida, according to The Bradenton Herald. — Chris Irvine, Fox News, "Panthers quarterback Cam Newton snaps at kid who mocked him for Super Bowl loss," 19 June 2018 By McClatchy In the case of the Lover's Key gator, that one is believed to have originated from the Estero Bay Aquatic Preserve where fresh water, from recent Lake Okeechobee discharges, meets saltwater, CBS4 reported. — Howard Cohen, miamiherald, "This alligator didn't mind saltwater as it swam and sunned itself on a Florida beach," 19 June 2018 The idea does not seem to have originated with Trump. — Benjamin Hart, Daily Intelligencer, "Trump Announces ‘Space Force’ He Wants to be Sixth Branch of Military," 18 June 2018 Swahili, or Kiswahili, is a language, one that seems to have originated in East Africa, where the continent meets the Indian Ocean. — New York Times, "Swahili, the Pulse of Life at the Crossroads," 14 June 2018 Fun fact: Other towns in the U.S. claim to have originated the hamburger, but according to Kemp, Seymour is the only one with supporting documentation dating back to 1885. — Nancy Stohs, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "6 food festivals that offer a glimpse of Wisconsin specialties and local culture," 6 June 2018 His characteristic rhetorical mode was to describe and understand both sides of a divide—black and white, liberal and conservative, Muslim and non-Muslim—before synthesizing them into a unifying story that seemed to originate in and affirm his own. — George Packer, The New Yorker, "Witnessing the Obama Presidency, from Start to Finish," 5 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'originate.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Statistics for originate

Last Updated

12 Oct 2018

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Time Traveler for originate

The first known use of originate was in 1668

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More Definitions for originate

originate

verb

English Language Learners Definition of originate

: to begin to exist : to be produced or created

: to cause (something) to exist : to produce or create (something)

See the full definition for originate in the English Language Learners Dictionary

originate

verb

orig·i·nate | \ə-ˈri-jə-ˌnāt

originated; originating

Kids Definition of originate

1 : to bring into being : invent, initiate I had lots of time to cook … and I must say I originated some excellent meals.— Jean Craighead George, My Side of the Mountain

2 : to come into being The custom originated in ancient times.

originate

verb

orig·i·nate | \ə-ˈri-jə-ˌnāt

originated; originating

Legal Definition of originate

transitive verb

: to give rise to specifically : to issue (a mortgage loan) usually for subsequent sale in a pool of mortgage loans to a secondary market — compare service

intransitive verb

: to take or have origin

Other Words from originate

origination \ə-ˌri-jə-ˈnā-shən

\ noun

originator \ə-ˈri-jə-ˌnā-tər

\ noun

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