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Synonyms

originator

American  
[uh-rij-uh-nayt-er] / əˈrɪdʒ əˌneɪt ər /

noun

plural

originators

  1. a person or thing that originates something.

Other Word Forms

  • co-originator noun
  • non-originator noun

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.

Smith co-founded mortgage originator First National Financial in 1988.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 17, 2026

Mortgage originator Rocket purchased mortgage servicer Mr. Cooper and brokerage Redfin earlier this year.

From Barron's • Jan. 6, 2026

We’re also planning to potentially use our current mortgage originator in the refinance, which is waiving closing costs on a new loan.

From Salon • Nov. 28, 2024

Through a screengrab, I traced the recording back to TikTok and what appears to be the originator of the clip: an account called HJB News with the ironic tagline "Keeping it real".

From BBC • Feb. 13, 2024

Here's the kicker, though: Morgenstern’s Florinese version came before Baum wrote The Wizard of Oz, so in spite of the fact that he was the originator, he comes out just the other way around.

From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman

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.