stem from

verb

stemmed from; stemming from; stems from
: to be caused by (something or someone) : to come from (something or someone)
Most of her health problems stem from an accident she had when she was younger.
His love of the outdoors stems from his father.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Stem from.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stem%20from. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster