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source

American  
[sawrs, sohrs] / sɔrs, soʊrs /

noun

  • sources
    plural
  1. any thing or place from which something comes, arises, or is obtained; origin.

    Which foods are sources of calcium?

    Synonyms:
    originator, supplier
  2. the beginning or place of origin of a stream or river.

  3. a book, statement, person, etc., supplying information.

    Synonyms:
    reference, authority
  4. the person or business making interest or dividend payments.

  5. a manufacturer or supplier.

  6. Archaic. a natural spring or fountain.


verb (used with object)

  • sources,
    present (3rd person singular)
  • sourced,
    past participle,  past
  • sourcing
    present participle
  1. to give or trace the source for.

    The research paper was not accurately sourced.

    The statement was sourced to the secretary of state.

  2. to find or acquire a source, especially a supplier, for.

    Some of the components are now sourced in Hong Kong.

verb (used without object)

  • sources,
    present (3rd person singular)
  • sourced,
    past participle,  past
  • sourcing
    present participle
  1. to contract a manufacturer or supplier.

    Many large companies are now sourcing overseas.

  2. to seek information about or consider possible options, available personnel, or the like.

    a job recruiter who was merely sourcing.

source British  
/ sɔːs /

noun

  1. the point or place from which something originates

    1. a spring that forms the starting point of a stream; headspring

    2. the area where the headwaters of a river rise

      the source of the Nile

  2. a person, group, etc, that creates, issues, or originates something

    the source of a complaint

    1. any person, book, organization, etc, from which information, evidence, etc, is obtained

    2. ( as modifier )

      source material

  3. anything, such as a story or work of art, that provides a model or inspiration for a later work

  4. electronics the electrode region in a field-effect transistor from which majority carriers flow into the interelectrode conductivity channel

  5. at the point of origin

"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

verb

  1. to determine the source of a news report or story

  2. to originate from

  3. (tr) to establish an originator or source of (a product, piece of information, etc)

"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

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of source

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English sours (noun), from Old French sors (masculine), sourse, source (feminine), noun use of past participle of sourdre, from Latin surgere “to spring up or forth”; cf. surge

Explanation

The noun source describes an origin, like the source who gave the journalist the information that broke a new story, or the place something originates, like the source of a river, or the Web site that is your source for celebrity gossip. The noun source can also refer to information obtained from documents, such as books, letters, newspapers, and journals. For example, when you write a research paper, you read, paraphrase and quote from sources. A source can also be a place where you get things, like a certain store being your source for discount sneakers or something that provides, like oranges, a good source of Vitamin C.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing source

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:

In Dickinson’s green leatherbound King James, we find a possible source for a crucial word in this poem.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

The question of what’s real and not isn’t only Béatrice’s to unpack — you may wonder yourself whether Auen and Walker have fabricated their esoteric source materials and invented the strange saga of Ernetti.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026

Drone strikes were the "most likely" cause, a diplomatic source based in the city told AFP, "though we haven't been able to obtain imagery or independent confirmation".

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

And, as you have discovered, don’t rely on a single source of income, primarily because Social Security or one retirement account leaves you exposed to inflation, drops in equity markets and unexpected bills.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026

But the stories he told have been confirmed by other scholars and researchers and used by many historians as a source on Jefferson’s life ever since.

From "In the Shadow of Liberty" by Kenneth C. Davis

The strain from energy bottlenecks has forced digital infrastructure providers to seek out alternatives to bypass local and regional grids, connecting directly to power sources, such as nuclear or gas-powered.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026

From the conversations BBC Sport have had with sources close to the first team, there is certainly a significant level of concern as to how they will be affected.

From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2026

Budget: Bruno would look for additional funding sources through donations and other measures and attempt to use the extra revenue to address financial needs of students.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026

"Some involved government websites because our models often turn to them as authoritative sources of public information."

From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026

As I reviewed various records at the National Archives as well as information from other sources, I began to piece together a clearer portrait of Burt.

From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

“You have adults who handle customer funds and make sure they’re sourced appropriately and handled appropriately.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026

Taylor Farms announced a voluntary recall of lettuce sourced from central Mexico, while the US fast-food chain Taco Bell said it has removed lettuce from the supplier from its menu.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

The drones are powered by turbojet engines, some of which, according to Ukrainian military intelligence, are sourced from China.

From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026

A seaglass chandelier sourced on a trip to Bali once drove a neighbor to complain.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026

As Elisha sourced a crew and supplies for his upcoming Arctic expedition, “examining recruits, inventing cooking stoves, pricing rounds of beef,” he was often on the road.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

And even companies known for vertical integration, like Tesla, are sourcing their components from outside the U.S.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026

Separately on Wednesday the company announced a new recruiting offering that aims to use AI agents for digital candidate sourcing, recruiting and hiring coaching.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

Two wholesalers interviewed by AFP on condition of anonymity said they are still sourcing from Iran, notably via Omani ports.

From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026

Lidl GB said it was "committed to sourcing fish and seafood from responsibly managed fisheries".

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

Her people, of several shapes and sizes, sourcing from an amalgam of many human races of divergent strains from several near-forgotten planets, all sighed together, like a little wind of sadness.

From The Dark Goddess by Richard Sharpe Shaver

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