originate
Americanverb (used without object)
-
to take its origin or rise; begin; start; arise.
The practice originated during the Middle Ages.
-
(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)
verb
-
to come or bring into being
-
(intr) (of a bus, train, etc) to begin its journey at a specified point
Synonym Usage
See discover.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
originationnoun
-
originatornoun
-
self-originationnoun
-
originableadjective
-
self-originatedadjective
-
self-originatingadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
originatesimple
-
originatessimple
-
have originatedperfect
-
has originatedperfect
-
am originatingprogressive
-
are originatingprogressive
-
is originatingprogressive
-
have been originatingperfect progressive
-
has been originatingperfect progressive
Past
-
originatedsimple
-
had originatedperfect
-
was originatingprogressive
-
were originatingprogressive
-
had been originatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of originate
First recorded in 1645–55; probably back formation from origination (from French ), from Latin orīginātiō “etymology”; see origin, -ate 1, ion
Explanation
Originate is a verb that means to start or create something. You can originate the idea of adding a fancy new coffee machine to your company's break room, and before long, your entire office could be happily drinking mocha lattes. Originate is the place or point at which any new thing or idea starts. It usually doesn't end there, though. A carpet that originates in Turkey can travel all the way to an apartment in New York. A rumor can originate during first period, but by lunchtime it will have made its way around the entire high school.
Vocabulary lists containing originate
100 SAT words Beginning with "O"
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Jumpstart Your Vocab: Synonyms for "Begin"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Ten Words from Today's NY Times - June 6, 2012
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
Novel ideas and major steps forward rarely originate from established institutions alone.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
To spot them, skygazers should look for the point in the sky where they appear to originate from, known as the radiant.
From BBC ● Jul. 17, 2026
The freezer aisle, from whence many of its contents originate, does not do much to help the case.
From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2026
Only four other planetary systems are known to contain multiple super-puff planets, making TOI-791 an exceptionally rare opportunity to investigate how these unusual worlds originate and evolve.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 27, 2026
All cancers originate from a single cell gone wrong and are categorized based on the type of cell they start from.
From "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
Researchers have spent decades trying to determine where it originates.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 19, 2026
Further, a household can only deduct mortgage interest on a maximum of $750,000 of combined debt on the two properties when the debt originates on or after Dec. 15, 2017.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
It features an area called Scotland's Larder in which different regions take turns to highlight and sell food which originates from that area.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
At the same time, higher rates can do little to calm today’s inflation volatility, which largely originates on the supply side of the economy.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
“The vital spirit originates here, in-the heart, and is perfected by the lungs, which inspire the blood with air,” Hamlet explained.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
Younger ape fossils have been found across Africa, Asia, and Europe, but scientists continue to debate how these species were related and where their ancestors originated.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026
“So far, no evidence has been found to indicate that it originated here, yet we are taking every precaution in case that turns out to be the case,” Kershenobich said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Last year, Morgan Stanley says, one-fifth of the buying demand for gold originated with ETFs, however that positive sentiment has been disrupted by the Gulf crisis, and the prospect of rate hikes.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 21, 2026
The use of flammable materials as decoration may have facilitated the rapid spread of the fire, which originated near the stage, police say.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
The first cereal was probably millet—not the millet eaten today, which originated in Africa, but a cousin species, knotweed bristle- grass, which is no longer farmed.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
If you’re unfamiliar with hobby horsing, it’s a sport originating from Finland that’s growing in popularity.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 16, 2026
Signals originating from BC6 spread through multiple visual pathways in an organized, hierarchical pattern.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026
But it is worth remembering that inflationary forces originating with that accord helped cause the 1987 stock market crash.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
He argues Peru's wealth originating from its natural resources doesn't reach ordinary people or the often rural communities where a lot of mining takes place.
From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026
In this formulation, all forms of authority not originating within the self were stigmatized and placed on the permanent defensive.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
