engender
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
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(tr) to bring about or give rise to; produce or cause
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to be born or cause to be born; bring or come into being
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has engenderedperfect 3rd person singular
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have engenderedperfect
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have been engenderingperfect progressive
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am engenderingprogressive 1st person singular
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are engenderingprogressive
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engenderingparticiple
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is engenderingprogressive 3rd person singular
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has been engenderingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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engenderssingular 3rd person
Past
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had engenderedperfect
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were engenderingprogressive plural
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had been engenderingperfect progressive
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was engenderingprogressive singular
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engenderedparticiple
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engenderedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of engender
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Old French engendrer, from Latin ingenerāre, from in- en- 1 + generāre “to beget” ( see generate)
Explanation
Engender is a fancy way of saying "to make happen," like when you engender the spirit of teamwork and cooperation by encouraging others and doing your share of the group's work. The verb engender has nothing to do with being male or female, though originally, it did mean "beget, procreate." Today, engender means "to produce or bring about." When students come to class prepared, meaning they've read their assignment, this engenders better class discussions, just as mutual trust and the desire to help each other engenders a meaningful friendship.
Vocabulary lists containing engender
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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 resulting company, Engender Technologies in Auckland, uses fluorescent labelling and lasers to separate X- and Y-chromosome sperm.
From Nature • Feb. 12, 2019
For the past three years, women and “non-binary” students from Engender have tried to join fraternities.
From New York Times • Feb. 12, 2019
The women belong to a student group called Engender that has used civil rights-type tactics to try to force fraternities to accept women.
From New York Times • Feb. 12, 2019
This past year, hundreds of students signalled on Facebook their plans to attend, but similar numbers gravitated toward a rival event hosted by Engender, a student group that advocates for greater inclusion in fraternities.
From The New Yorker • Sep. 25, 2018
Engender, en-jen′dėr, v.t. to beget: to bear: to breed: to sow the seeds of: to produce.—v.i. to be caused or produced.—ns.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various
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.
