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Synonyms

originate

American

[uh-rij-uh-neyt] / əˈrɪdʒ əˌneɪt /

verb (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)

to give origin or rise to; initiate; invent.

to originate a better method.

originate British

/ əˈrɪdʒɪˌneɪt /

verb

to come or bring into being
(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

Synonym Usage

See discover.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

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.

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Ten Words from Today's NY Times - June 6, 2012

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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.

Staff at the Bank for International Settlements warned in an October report that “PE-linked firms can face conflicts of interest” since they are motivated to put insurer money in the investments they originate.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 26, 2026

Believed to originate from North Africa, the roughly 230 primates are the main attraction in the British exclave of 30,000 people that borders southern Spain, according to the Gibraltar Ornithological and Natural History Society.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

The El Niño/La Niña pattern probably does influence certain storms that hit California, but only the typical seasonal variety that originate from Alaska or north of Hawaii, Ralph said.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026

The latter measure will ensure that votes genuinely originate from the country in which they are submitted.

From BBC • May 12, 2026

The death storm seemed to originate right above their heads.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023