1
as in source
a point or place at which something is invented or provided
the origins of human language remain a matter of considerable debate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in root
the source from which something grows or develops
the origin of the tradition of giving presents at Christmastime
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in ancestry
the line of ancestors from whom a person is descended
they could trace their origins back 15 generations
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of origin
According to the release, doPE’s origins date to a chance encounter between D and Densmore on a Record Store Day panel in 2014, the same year the MC served as Record Store Day Ambassador.
—
Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 21 Jan. 2026
To honor Hancock’s jazz origin story, the Hyde Park Academy High School will host a special tribute concert on the morning of Wednesday, April 29.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
This origin underscores dill’s long-standing role as a calming remedy, traditionally used to relieve colic, indigestion, and pain.
—Hannah Nwoko, Parents, 21 Jan. 2026
Conditional Belonging Leads To Compulsive Giving A 2019 study on attachment and development points to a common origin story for this compulsion.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for origin
Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 21 Jan. 2026
To honor Hancock’s jazz origin story, the Hyde Park Academy High School will host a special tribute concert on the morning of Wednesday, April 29.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 21 Jan. 2026
This origin underscores dill’s long-standing role as a calming remedy, traditionally used to relieve colic, indigestion, and pain.
—Hannah Nwoko, Parents, 21 Jan. 2026
Conditional Belonging Leads To Compulsive Giving A 2019 study on attachment and development points to a common origin story for this compulsion.
—Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for origin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for origin
Noun
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Venezuela was hardly an impartial source; nor was OPEC, of which Caracas was a founding member and to which the new numbers were officially reported.—
Scott Montgomery,
Forbes.com,
25 Jan. 2026
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Later, sources told CNN the Justice Department stopped investigating the agent and federal authorities refused to share information with local investigators.—
Andy Rose,
CNN Money,
25 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Likewise, the sugars produced by the green leaves of a scion cannot be shared with the lower stem and roots of the plant if the graft fails.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Jan. 2026
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Now, guests can sleep in those same rooms, breathe in its history, and experience live music that can trace its roots all the way back to those glory days.—
Paul Oswell,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Notably, however, among the new appointees to the board were a Black man, another man whose mother is Iranian and whose father is Pakistani, and a man of Spanish ancestry whose parents were Turkish immigrants.—
Richie Zweigenhaft,
Fortune,
27 Jan. 2026
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For Brown, and other Virgin Islanders with ancestry tied to Danish colonialism, the recent discussions over Greenland’s future have spurred heightened empathy and concern for the 57,000 inhabitants of the 836,000-square-mile island with a climate much different from their own.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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To stop each dog from trying to reach the toy, the owners sat at a dining table or on the floor while the dog was put behind a child safety gate, or was in a dog cradle or bed.—
Amarachi Orie,
CNN Money,
8 Jan. 2026
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The wise men made a pilgrimage from the east to worship at the cradle of Christ; and the shepherds journeyed from field to town in search of Jesus, the savior of the world.—
Stephanie Petit,
PEOPLE,
25 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The beginning of the year is often the time for contemplation and action.—
Heather L. Locus,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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Near the beginning of the site’s trail, a replica village contains several ‘ewaas, which are traditional Kumeyaay homes.—
Julie Gallant,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Scottish singer-songwriter Jacob Alon was revealed as the Critics’ Choice winner from a shortlist that included Rose Gray and Sienna Spiro — joining a lineage that ties this year’s new talents to past Critics' Choice winners like Adele, Florence + The Machine and Sam Smith.—
Jeff Benjamin,
Forbes.com,
22 Jan. 2026
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Now, after comparing fossils from these cryptic organisms with fossil fungi from the same rock deposit, the authors of the new study, published today in Science Advances, conclude that Prototaxites was likely a distinct lineage.—
Cody Cottier,
Scientific American,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Visual variations and an organic genesis give natural stone an individual look and history, which Merbeth says is one of the motivations behind this trend.—
Kristina McGuirk,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Jan. 2026
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Tell us more about the genesis of this project.—
Michael James Rocha,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Jan. 2026
Noun
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With its record-setting past, unmatched waterfrontage, and architectural pedigree, the Mokulua Estate now stands poised to test the upper limits of O‘ahu’s luxury real estate market once again.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
22 Jan. 2026
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With multiple offers in free agency, Kyle Tucker was ultimately swayed by the Los Angeles Dodgers’ championship pedigree.—
Beth Harris,
Chicago Tribune,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Origin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/origin. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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