source

American  

[sawrs, sohrs] / sɔrs, soʊrs /

noun

sources plural

1. any thing or place from which something comes, arises, or is obtained; origin.

   Which foods are sources of calcium?

   Synonyms:

   originator, supplier

2. the beginning or place of origin of a stream or river.

3. a book, statement, person, etc., supplying information.

   Synonyms:

   reference, authority

4. the person or business making interest or dividend payments.

5. a manufacturer or supplier.

6. Archaic. a natural spring or fountain.

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verb (used with object)

sources, present (3rd person singular) sourced, past participle, past sourcing present participle

1. to give or trace the source for.

   The research paper was not accurately sourced.

   The statement was sourced to the secretary of state.

2. to find or acquire a source, especially a supplier, for.

   Some of the components are now sourced in Hong Kong.

verb (used without object)

sources, present (3rd person singular) sourced, past participle, past sourcing present participle

1. to contract a manufacturer or supplier.

   Many large companies are now sourcing overseas.

2. to seek information about or consider possible options, available personnel, or the like.

   a job recruiter who was merely sourcing.

source British  

/ sɔːs /

noun

1. the point or place from which something originates

2. 1. a spring that forms the starting point of a stream; headspring

   2. the area where the headwaters of a river rise

      the source of the Nile

3. a person, group, etc, that creates, issues, or originates something

   the source of a complaint

4. 1. any person, book, organization, etc, from which information, evidence, etc, is obtained

   2. ( as modifier )

      source material

5. anything, such as a story or work of art, that provides a model or inspiration for a later work

6. electronics the electrode region in a field-effect transistor from which majority carriers flow into the interelectrode conductivity channel

7. at the point of origin

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verb

1. to determine the source of a news report or story

2. to originate from

3. (tr) to establish an originator or source of (a product, piece of information, etc)

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• sourcefulness
  noun
• sourceful
  adjective
• sourceless
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• sources
  plural

Participles

• sourcing
  present
• sourced
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• source
  simple
• sources
  simple
• have sourced
  perfect
• has sourced
  perfect
• are sourcing
  progressive
• am sourcing
  progressive
• is sourcing
  progressive
• have been sourcing
  perfect progressive
• has been sourcing
  perfect progressive

Past

• sourced
  simple
• had sourced
  perfect
• was sourcing
  progressive
• were sourcing
  progressive
• had been sourcing
  perfect progressive

Future

• will source
  simple
• will have sourced
  perfect
• will be sourcing
  progressive
• will have been sourcing
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of source

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English sours (noun), from Old French sors (masculine), sourse, source (feminine), noun use of past participle of sourdre, from Latin surgere “to spring up or forth”; cf. surge

Explanation

The noun source describes an origin, like the source who gave the journalist the information that broke a new story, or the place something originates, like the source of a river, or the Web site that is your source for celebrity gossip. The noun source can also refer to information obtained from documents, such as books, letters, newspapers, and journals. For example, when you write a research paper, you read, paraphrase and quote from sources. A source can also be a place where you get things, like a certain store being your source for discount sneakers or something that provides, like oranges, a good source of Vitamin C.

Example Sentences

"Even the sentence about people clapping when the plane lands - that's so Puerto Rico!" she tells the BBC World Service's Outside Source programme.

From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026

The research reported on here was funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health and Source Research Foundation.

From Science Daily • May 14, 2026

The Canadian, told BBC Outside Source that in March 2023 he started feeling unwell with "Covid-type symptoms, body aches, a chronic headache and fatigue".

From BBC • May 7, 2026

“No parent would want the world to watch their child die,” Meadows told Alaska News Source.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2026

In twenty minutes, it’s like a freaking Paper Source exploded all over the living room.

From "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda" by Becky Albertalli

Related Words

• authority
• cause
• expert
• origin