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
The seeds can be sown before the last frost date in your area and will germinate once the soil warms up, according to Tegen.
—Cori Sears, The Spruce, 7 Apr. 2026
These products have no effect on seeds that have already germinated, young plants, or mature plants.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Apr. 2026
Most seeds require a warm, bright location out of direct sun to germinate.
—Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
This is important to keep weed seeds from germinating.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 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.
Cori Sears, The Spruce, 7 Apr. 2026
These products have no effect on seeds that have already germinated, young plants, or mature plants.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Apr. 2026
Most seeds require a warm, bright location out of direct sun to germinate.
—Tim Johnson, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
This is important to keep weed seeds from germinating.
—Tom MacCubbin, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 Apr. 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 10 Apr. 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
