Synonyms of origin

origin

noun

ˈȯr-ə-jən 

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

• source
• cradle
• root
• fountain
• font
• beginning
• commencement
• spring
• fountainhead
• genesis
• wellspring
• well
• inception
• start
• onset
• outset
• seedbed
• incipiency
• launch
• dawn
• threshold
• day one
• first base
• kickoff
• incipience
• nascence
• ground zero
• baseline
• nascency
• git-go
• morning
• get-go
• square one

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

• root
• beginning
• genesis
• seed
• germ
• origination
• start
• inception
• fountainhead
• birth
• font
• commencement
• fountain
• onset
• spring
• launch
• outset
• creation
• seedbed
• well
• dawn
• threshold
• inauguration
• wellspring
• incipiency
• morning
• wellhead

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

• ancestry
• lineage
• pedigree
• genealogy
• descent
• breeding
• family
• extraction
• birth
• parentage
• blood
• stock
• strain
• bloodline
• line
• family tree
• succession
• heredity
• relations
• relatives
• race
• house
• kin
• kindred

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• issue
• seed
• progeny
• posterity
• offspring
• child
• son
• successor
• heir
• inheritor

Synonym Chooser

How is the word origin distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of origin are inception, root, and source. While all these words mean "the point at which something begins its course or existence," origin applies to the things or persons from which something is ultimately derived and often to the causes operating before the thing itself comes into being.

an investigation into the origin of baseball

In what contexts can inception take the place of origin?

Although the words inception and origin have much in common, inception stresses the beginning of something without implying causes.

the business has been a success since its inception

When might root be a better fit than origin?

While in some cases nearly identical to origin, root suggests a first, ultimate, or fundamental source often not easily discerned.

the real root of the violence

When is source a more appropriate choice than origin?

The meanings of source and origin largely overlap; however, source applies more often to the point where something springs into being.

the source of the Nile

the source of recurrent trouble

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of origin

When trying to determine the origins of teeth, one of the many possibilities considered by researchers over the years was that teeth may have evolved from bumps on the armored exoskeletons on ancient fish. —Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 21 May 2025

According to the new administration and its supporters, the laboratory origin is presumptively correct. —Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 20 May 2025

Laundry sanitizers are useful when someone in your household has been sick with an enteric infection or to wash clothing that has been exposed to pathogens of human, animal, or agricultural origin. —Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 May 2025

The dramedy from director Stephen Chbosky tells the true story of the origins of Enoteca Maria, the famed Italian restaurant on Staten Island. —Jessica Wang, EW.com, 9 May 2025