origin

American  

[awr-i-jin, or-] / ˈɔr ɪ dʒɪn, ˈɒr- /

noun

• origins
  plural

1. something from which anything arises or is derived; source; fountainhead.

   to follow a stream to its origin.

   Synonyms:

   foundation, root

   Antonyms:

   end, destination

2. rise or derivation from a particular source.

   the origin of a word.

3. the first stage of existence; beginning.

   the origin of Quakerism in America.

4. ancestry; parentage; extraction.

   to be of Scottish origin.

   Synonyms:

   descent, linage, birth

5. Anatomy.

   1. the point of derivation.

   2. the more fixed portion of a muscle.

6. Mathematics.

   1. the point in a Cartesian coordinate system where the axes intersect.

   2. Also called pole.  the point from which rays designating specific angles originate and are measured from in a polar coordinate system with no axes.

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origin British  

/ ˈɒrɪdʒɪn /

noun

1. a primary source; derivation

2. the beginning of something; first stage or part

3. (often plural) ancestry or parentage; birth; extraction

4. anatomy

   1. the end of a muscle, opposite its point of insertion

   2. the beginning of a nerve or blood vessel or the site where it first starts to branch out

5. maths

   1. the point of intersection of coordinate axes or planes

   2. the point whose coordinates are all zero See also pole 2

6. commerce the country from which a commodity or product originates

   shipment from origin

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origin Scientific  

/ ôr′ə-jĭn /

1. The point at which the axes of a Cartesian coordinate system intersect. The coordinates of the origin are (0,0) in two dimensions and (0,0,0) in three dimensions.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• origins
  plural

Etymology

Origin of origin

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin orīgin-, stem of orīgō “beginning, source, lineage,” from or(īrī) “to rise” ( cf. orient) + -īgō, noun suffix

Explanation

An origin is a start. You could say that the origin of yoga was in India, since that's where the practice began, or that the origin of the strawberries in the market is Mexico, since they were grown there. If your best friend asks you about the origin of your fear of mariachi bands, it means that she wants to know where your phobia came from. Your ancestry is another kind of origin — you might mention your Eastern European origin if that's where your ancestors came from. The root, start, or birth of something is its origin. The origin of the word origin is the Latin word originem, meaning "rise, beginning, or source."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

origin origins

It’s worth noting that Eatherly’s origin story comes only from Eatherly’s own lips.

From Slate ● Aug. 20, 2026

"We have always welcomed people who cannot return to their home of origin, and to reject these third country nationals would be acting against our best interest," he said.

From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026

One theory for the origin of the Martian moons -- the "giant impact" hypothesis -- is that they formed after a celestial body collided with Mars.

From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026

To stop this practice, the report suggested measures including artificial-intelligence tools at the border to scan cargo and documents, and tightening standards that define a product’s country of origin.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

My father’s care and attentions were indefatigable, but he did not know the origin of my sufferings and sought erroneous methods to remedy the incurable ill.

From "Frankenstein" by Mary Shelley

“Liveforever” becomes Caicedo’s record of how Cali made salsa its own, capturing the origins of a musical mania so profound that it is still ingrained in the city today.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

Beyond the academic debate about his origins, Homer is everywhere in Bornova.

From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026

The Nature Metabolism study focused on the origins of phenol metabolites as well as indole metabolites, which are produced from the amino acid tryptophan.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 15, 2026

An expert could analyze the individual brushstrokes on the statue to identify the exact origins of the bust, she said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

There was something unseemly about it, this unwillingness to be forthcoming, to state your origins plainly.

From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng

Related Words

• ancestor
• ancestry
• connection
• element
• influence
• motive
• provenance
• root
• source