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

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.
Recent Examples of origin Until recently, testing an undocumented stone's origin required sending it to a lab and, in many cases, removing it from its setting. Garth Friesen, Forbes.com, 26 Apr. 2025 There are fewer flashbacks in The Accountant 2, because we’ve already been regaled with the origin story of a special boy trained to be an unstoppable man. A.a. Dowd, Rolling Stone, 25 Apr. 2025 The origin of the fire, according to investigators, is near the Waretown address that Kling listed as his home. Jon Haworth, ABC News, 24 Apr. 2025 The mystery is three-dimensional: The humongous number of parameters obscuring what the model can do; the open data, internet data, on which the model is based (as opposed to in-house, clean data); and the source, the origin of the model’s development. Gil Press, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for origin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for origin
Noun
  • Tesla's lower-cost Model Y: US launch pushed back as sources reveal production challengesNeed a break?
    Mike Scarcella, USA Today, 23 Apr. 2025
  • An escalating trade war between the U.S. and China, the world’s two largest economies, has been a major source of concern for the maritime and transport sector.
    Jenni Reid,Sam Meredith, CNBC, 22 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • But a personal encounter with veganism pulled her back to her culinary roots — this time with a mission.
    Sierra Knoch, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Apr. 2025
  • The long tap root can be eaten raw in salads or boiled and eaten like parsnips.
    Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 27 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • And realizing that these women, this culture, this practice is actually a part of my ancestry, too.
    DeMicia Inman, VIBE.com, 17 Apr. 2025
  • The effort will require tracing the ancestry of remipedes and other crustaceans, as well as searching for insects in the fossil record—both from new fossil sites and perhaps miscategorized fossils already in collections.
    Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Lina Zeldovich November 6, 2018 The cradle of civilization may not support our civilization anymore.
    The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 22 Apr. 2025
  • Soon, a humble little rock cradle appears, painstakingly assembled and fiercely defended.
    Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Type 1: The Starting Goal The first type of financial goal is the one set at the beginning of a financial journey.
    Andrew Rosen, Forbes.com, 24 Apr. 2025
  • There were language gaps, especially at the beginning.
    Essence, Essence, 24 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • Scientists urged conservation efforts to save the unique lineage.
    CBS News, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2025
  • After the Challenger accident in 1986, NASA launched most of its satellites on expendable rockets, like the Atlas, Delta, and Titan launch vehicles that traced their lineages to the 1950s.
    ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 24 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The genesis of the company came in the late 1990s, when Jeremy Sorzano, one of Bredeman’s soccer teammates at Pennsylvania’s Messiah University, was a pro for the Charlotte Eagles, a team mired in the third level of the USL.
    Brendan Coffey, Sportico.com, 22 Apr. 2025
  • One of the most influential bands in history, the genesis of The Beatles dates back to the late 1950s when McCartney and Lennon first came together in the Quarrymen.
    Jack Guy, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The film comes with strong festival pedigree, having received the SGIFF Short Film Fund and the Singapore Momo Distribution Grant.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 Apr. 2025
  • Such is the appeal of the new Chinese restaurant on 79th Street Causeway, a stylish but comfortable spot hidden within a modest property, with a startling culinary pedigree and a menu that may challenge your idea of what a neighborhood Chinese restaurant should be.
    Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 15 Apr. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Origin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/origin. Accessed 3 May. 2025.

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