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Synonyms

originate

American  
[uh-rij-uh-neyt] / əˈrɪdʒ əˌneɪt /

verb (used without object)

originated, originating
  1. to take its origin or rise; begin; start; arise.

    The practice originated during the Middle Ages.

  2. (of a train, bus, or other public conveyance) to begin a scheduled run at a specified place.

    This train originates at Philadelphia.


verb (used with object)

originated, originating
  1. to give origin or rise to; initiate; invent.

    to originate a better method.

originate British  
/ əˈrɪdʒɪˌneɪt /

verb

  1. to come or bring into being

  2. (intr) (of a bus, train, etc) to begin its journey at a specified point

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See discover.

Other Word Forms

  • originable adjective
  • origination noun
  • originator noun
  • self-originated adjective
  • self-originating adjective
  • self-origination noun

Etymology

Origin of originate

First recorded in 1645–55; probably back formation from origination (from French ), from Latin orīginātiō “etymology”; origin, -ate 1, ion

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.

Head Start, another initiative that originated in the Kennedy White House and was established as a federal program in 1965 to serve low-income families, has also found itself under threat.

From Salon

Tierney understands the book’s intense enthusiasts and the modern men-loving-men genre, which evolved from the Boys Love fandom that originated in 1970s Japanese culture and has persisted in contemporary media with fanfiction and romance writing.

From Salon

He has embraced his nickname 'Heavy Metal', originating from both his love of the music genre and use of heavy darts - that weigh 32 grams.

From BBC

MPs DOM closely resembled organic material produced by microbes rather than organic matter originating from land plants and soils.

From Science Daily

Finally, there is Don’t Futurism, which originates in dystopian novels.

From The Wall Street Journal