originator

noun

orig·​i·​na·​tor ə-ˈri-jə-ˌnā-tər 

plural originators

: someone or something that originates or gives rise to something

the originator of the idea/theory

a technique named after its originator

Persia was the originator of melons, cucumbers, and pears.

—Carol Bly

Synonyms of originator

• inventor
• designer
• creator
• founder

Examples of originator in a Sentence

Thomas Edison was the originator of the light bulb

Copernicus is sometimes hailed as the originator of modern astronomy, for he overturned the notion of an earth-centered universe

Recent Examples on the Web

The Knights Templar was a rich organization – both as a popular Christian charity and as originator of Europe’s first great banking system. — Tribune Content Agency, Baltimore Sun, 12 Aug. 2026

An agent identity without that originator context is incomplete, and so is any audit trail that shows which agent acted but not under whose authority or why the action was permitted. — Shashwat Sehgal, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2026

All Black, originators of hardcore, and already legendary, Bad Brains should have filled that role. — Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2026

Swig, the originator of the dirty soda craze, has signed a 13-unit development deal with a local franchisee to open the drive-thru-centric soda shops in locations that will include Naperville, Crest Hill, Romeoville and Bolingbrook. — Rick West, Chicago Tribune, 9 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for originator

• accelerator
• accumulator
• adjudicator
• administrator
• appropriator
• articulator
• attenuator
• bronchodilator
• collaborator
• communicator
• conciliator
• cooperator