germinate
verb (used without object)
to begin to grow or develop.
germinated
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past participleof germinate.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof germinate.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
germinateverb (used without object)to begin to grow or develop.
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.
It is easy to laugh at the childlike naiveté of sending seeds to Mars, an idea that never germinated.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026
But Schneider and her colleagues believe there’s probably a healthy collection of seeds in the soil from previous years that hasn’t germinated yet that could help it recover when conditions are right.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026
Once the grains germinated in a laboratory, the seedlings were planted in water in June, and harvesting began in early October.
From Barron's ● Oct. 31, 2025
Boxes full of fresh onions in the courtyard have now germinated.
From BBC ● Feb. 15, 2025
Either they were bulbs she had already planted or they had been in the sack so long they had germinated.
From "Song of Solomon" by Toni Morrison
