1
as in inventor
one who creates or introduces something new
Thomas Edison was the originator of the light bulb
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in founder
a person who establishes a whole new field of endeavor
Copernicus is sometimes hailed as the originator of modern astronomy, for he overturned the notion of an earth-centered universe
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of originator
In addition to your loan application, your mortgage loan originator and loan processor are going to ask you for a lot of documentation such as tax documents, paystubs and bank statements.
—
Jeff Lazerson, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026
About 146 years after that White House dinner, the originators behind McDonald’s began the relentless mission of making sure French fries, and the overall McDonald’s brand, were forever entangled with America.
—Amanda Hancock, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
This is the originator that’s still innovating.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 14 Apr. 2026
Randy Wright was an eighth-grade civics teacher and is the originator of the Liberty Dollar Bill Act.
—Randy Wright, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for originator
Jeff Lazerson, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026
About 146 years after that White House dinner, the originators behind McDonald’s began the relentless mission of making sure French fries, and the overall McDonald’s brand, were forever entangled with America.
—Amanda Hancock, USA Today, 15 Apr. 2026
This is the originator that’s still innovating.
—Clayton Davis, Variety, 14 Apr. 2026
Randy Wright was an eighth-grade civics teacher and is the originator of the Liberty Dollar Bill Act.
—Randy Wright, Washington Post, 5 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for originator
Recent Examples of Synonyms for originator
Noun
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Despite the proximity, the space rock poses no danger, according to Richard Binzel, a professor of planetary sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the inventor of the Torino Scale, a tool for categorizing potential collisions of space objects with Earth.—
Jacopo Prisco,
CNN Money,
18 May 2026
-
Doc, the inventor of the shortstop position.—
Ben McGrath,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
Noun
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Dudley notably received a $1 million contribution from Phil Knight, the billionaire co-founder of Nike, which is based in Oregon.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
19 May 2026
-
In addition to designers and entrepreneurs, many artists were around of the like of Malcolm McLaren, the founder of the Sex Pistols.—
Maria Cristina Pavarini,
Footwear News,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
Midcentury furniture from designer Sergio Rodrigues blends with practical design features and natural materials.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
21 May 2026
-
Lowit had by that point gained renown and better paychecks for her intimate backstage candids of models and designers — an unguarded moment with Kate Moss done up for the runway, Jean-Michel Basquiat sitting stone still with his cigarette at the Palladium.—
Clio Chang,
Curbed,
20 May 2026
Noun
-
That lesson has been absorbed — instinctively, if not always consciously — by a generation of online creators now moving into feature filmmaking with their audiences already in tow.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2026
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Jury members are to be announced; the roster will draw from filmmakers, actors, and creators working across Japan and internationally.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
Wilson’s father was a Presbyterian minister, and Wilson read the Bible daily.—
Ruth Marcus,
New Yorker,
21 May 2026
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The backstory The property was built in 1835 as a private home for Sarah Lydia Robbins Howe, whose father Edward Hutchinson Robbins served as Massachusetts’ sixth lieutenant governor.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
20 May 2026
Noun
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Saunders’ analysis of his quartet of authors and their stories also puts me in mind of an observation by the late playwright Tom Stoppard.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 May 2026
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The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.—
Eric Welch,
The Conversation,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Originator.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/originator. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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