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.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of origin
When the aircraft was about 100 miles southeast of Boston, the pilots called into local air traffic control to request a return to its origin.
—
Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
Watch Nealon recount his claustrophobia origin story above.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Despite this, Halloween's origins trace back to Samhain, an ancient Celtic festival, and emerged as a mix of Celtic and Christian heritage.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 30 Oct. 2025
The cause of the fire is believed to be of natural origin.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for origin
Colson Thayer, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025
Watch Nealon recount his claustrophobia origin story above.
—Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
Despite this, Halloween's origins trace back to Samhain, an ancient Celtic festival, and emerged as a mix of Celtic and Christian heritage.
—Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 30 Oct. 2025
The cause of the fire is believed to be of natural origin.
—Ca Wildfire Bot, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for origin
Recent Examples of Synonyms for origin
Noun
-
New president Wade Rousse, hired to the job on Tuesday, has decided to promote interim athletic director Verge Ausberry to the full-time role, a school source confirmed to The Athletic.—
Chris Vannini,
New York Times,
5 Nov. 2025
-
Energy transition, by contrast, typically refers to the transfer from one energy source to another.—
Sam Meredith,Dan Murphy,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Evolito itself traces its roots to YASA’s early axial flux technology.—
Aamir Khollam,
Interesting Engineering,
24 Oct. 2025
-
Little Tokyo often steals the spotlight, but Gardena and Torrance’s Japanese American roots run just as deep.—
Mae Hamilton,
Travel + Leisure,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
On The Opening Of Their Newest Restaurant The father-son duo is celebrating their ancestry even more with a new establishment called 34 Restaurant & Bar, which opened fall 2024.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
3 Nov. 2025
-
Here, the reparations bills intended ancestry to be a proxy for race to benefit black Californians.—
Andrew Quinio,
Oc Register,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The same technology’s feasibility should also be assessed under different climate zones, and full life cycle assessments (cradle-to-grave) of GS are a necessity for a better understanding of the technology’s merits and limits, researchers noted.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
17 Oct. 2025
-
The town is also the cradle of the popular Mexican Tecate beer and boasts remarkable natural landscapes.—
Paula Soria,
AZCentral.com,
9 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The article alleges that Gretchen liked a bunch of posts critical of the LGBTQIA+ community, one that every Housewife around that table and Real Housewives as an institution has supported from the very beginning.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
31 Oct. 2025
-
At the end, Lydie visits Agnes with the manifestation of the news Agnes received at the beginning of the film— the baby is finally here.—
Destiny Jackson,
Deadline,
30 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The dyrosaurid lineage spread across the globe, and the group as a whole even survived the extinction that wiped out the dinosaurs, researchers said.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
31 Oct. 2025
-
The paleontologist Simon Conway Morris points out that there are common and widespread patterns of convergent evolution in life’s history, where similar adaptations, like eyes, wings, and streamlined bodies, evolved independently in unrelated lineages.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
29 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The genesis of the Rainier complex dates back to the spring of 2023.—
MacKenzie Sigalos,
CNBC,
29 Oct. 2025
-
Bodewes’ burgeoning interest in the technology behind earplugs and, eventually, the genesis of Loop.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
24 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
Certain men who look a certain way and have a certain pedigree can behave imperfectly, to say the least, and still be confirmed into a position of power that has long-reaching consequences.—
Antonia Blyth,
Deadline,
20 Oct. 2025
-
His winning pedigree and steady demeanor have become defining traits within the Nuggets’ locker room.—
Evan Dammarell,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Origin.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/origin. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share