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

"I was surprised at our findings because the word 'brain' implies a contiguous organ that likely has a singular origin," Jokhai said.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 21, 2026

When asked about the grey squirrels' UK origin story, Foott said: "Nobody really knows - there are several records but it doesn't really matter."

From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026

This country is losing so much of the depth of our origin.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

Such firms could be negatively affected by new rules of origin, depending on how many components they source from North America, versus importing from Asia.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026

To the fiercely inquisitive Greeks, the study of living beings had been intimately linked to the question of the origin of the natural world.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee

In the end, I got answers—both about the origins of this specific conspiracy and about much more.

From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026

Though the origins of the drone have not been confirmed, Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas told Newshour that it came from the direction of Belarus, Lithuania's neighbour and a key Russian ally.

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

Inevitably, given the origins of the Lucas wealth, they have been compared to the sleek contoured spaceships of his “Star Wars” movies.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

Intel traces its origins to memory chips before it got out of that business due to poor economics.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 16, 2026

The first and last chapters explore the scientific origins of the Industrial Revolution, which turn out to be earlier and closer than previously suspected.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton

Related Words

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