generate

verb

gen·​er·​ate ˈje-nə-ˌrāt 

generated; generating; generates

transitive verb

1

: to bring into existence: such as

a

: procreate, beget

b

: to create by means of a defined process : produce

generate electricity

generating profits/growth

images generated by a computer

2

: to be the cause of (a situation, action, or state of mind)

these stories … generate a good deal of psychological suspense

—Atlantic

3

: to define or originate (something, such as a mathematical or linguistic set or structure) by the application of one or more rules or operations

especially : to trace out (something, such as a curve) by a moving point or to trace out (a surface) by a moving curve

Synonyms

• beget
• breed
• bring
• bring about
• bring on
• catalyze
• cause
• create
• do
• draw on
• effect
• effectuate
• engender
• induce
• invoke
• make
• occasion
• produce
• prompt
• result (in)
• spawn
• translate (into)
• work
• yield

Examples of generate in a Sentence

windmills used to generate electricity

This business should generate a lot of revenue.

We hope to generate some new ideas at the meeting.

His theories have generated a great deal of interest among other scientists.

Her comments have generated a good deal of excitement.

They have been unable to generate much support for their proposals.

Recent Examples on the Web

Former president Donald Trump’s social media company generated just $4 million in revenue last year — about as much as the average McDonald’s franchise in the United States, according to a report last year by the fast-food industry publication QSR. —Drew Harwell, Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2024

But Butler did generate 12 free throws — the most he’s taken in a game since March 5. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 7 Apr. 2024

The civil war and genocide generated millions of displaced people, many of whom accompanied the murderous government into neighboring countries as the RPF advanced. —Jonathan M. Hansen, TIME, 7 Apr. 2024

Economic impact reports about the revenue generated by professional sports franchises often cite measurable percentages of ticket sales to out-of-town consumers, Matheson said, but studies have not shown commensurate gains in tourism. —Cathie Anderson, Sacramento Bee, 6 Apr. 2024

Women’s elite sports will generate more than $1 billion in revenue for the first time in 2024, Deloitte projects. —Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN, 5 Apr. 2024

The scale has no upper limit, but no fault long enough to generate a magnitude 10 earthquake is known to exist, according to USGS. —Kerry Breen, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2024

The difference is that now a human can be in hundreds of simultaneous chats, rather than a handful, as all the chatter simply needs to repeatedly press send since the AI has generated the message. —Alexandra Sternlicht, Fortune, 5 Apr. 2024

Roosting Area The majority of waste generated inside the coop will fall directly under the main roost bar where the chickens sleep at night. —Kristin Guy, Sunset Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Latin generatus, past participle of generare, from gener-, genus descent, birth — more at kin

First Known Use

1509, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing generate

• self-generate

Kids Definition

generate

verb

gen·​er·​ate ˈjen-ə-ˌrāt 

generated; generating

1

: to bring into existence

generate electricity

2

: to be the cause of or reason for

news that generated excitement

generative

-ə-ˌrāt-iv

-(ə-)rət-

adjective

Medical Definition

generate

verb

gen·​er·​ate ˈjen-ə-ˌrāt 

generated; generating

transitive verb

: to bring into existence

especially : procreate

generate innumerable offspring

intransitive verb

: to produce offspring : propagate