origin

American  

[awr-i-jin, or-] / ˈɔr ɪ dʒɪn, ˈɒr- /

noun

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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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” ( orient ) + -īgō, noun suffix

Example Sentences

The full scope and origin of the attack remain unclear, and Dutra emphasized that the investigation was continuing.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

For licensing reasons, you have to be transparent about the origin of your image, because A.I. works are not copyright.

From Slate • Apr. 1, 2026

And those who use artistic talent to craft stories help their nation remember its origin, its purpose and its future.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

Still, the exact origin of modern apes, which include all living species and their last common ancestor, remains uncertain because fossils from this time are rare, scattered, and often difficult to interpret.

From Science Daily • Mar. 27, 2026

If you read many US history books, you may find several interpretations of the country’s origin myth.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

Related Words

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