begotten
Americanverb
verb
Other Word Forms
- self-begotten adjective
- well-begotten adjective
Explanation
Something is begotten when it's been generated by procreation — in other words, it's been fathered. A somewhat old fashioned adjective, begotten is the past participle of the verb beget, which means to father or produce as offspring. You might recognize this word from John 3:16, one of the most popular and most often quoted bible verses: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
Vocabulary lists containing begotten
Christmas Carol Vocab: A Lyrical Lexicon
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Words for Carolers
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Oedipus at Colonus
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“The creative inspiration people got from cheese boards has begotten creative inspiration for a lot of things,” she says.
From Washington Post • Feb. 25, 2020
The concept started in Los Angeles in 2012 and has since begotten showcases around the world, along with a monthly incarnation in Brooklyn.
From New York Times • Oct. 18, 2018
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., sent a detailed list of questions to Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh about his financial history this week, and those questions have now begotten further questions.
From Salon • Sep. 13, 2018
The verse says: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
From The Guardian • May 16, 2017
Or, if begotten, to have fallen from the womb Straight into the grave, And to be smothered, unknowing, In the dirt of Hades.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
