source

[ sawrs, sohrs ]

/ sɔrs, soʊrs /

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See synonyms for: source / sourced / sources on Thesaurus.com

noun

any thing or place from which something comes, arises, or is obtained; origin: Which foods are sources of calcium?

the beginning or place of origin of a stream or river.

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

the person or business making interest or dividend payments.

a manufacturer or supplier.

Archaic. a natural spring or fountain.

verb (used with object), sourced, sourcing.

to give or trace the source for: The research paper was not accurately sourced. The statement was sourced to the secretary of state.

to find or acquire a source, especially a supplier, for: Some of the components are now sourced in Hong Kong.

verb (used without object), sourced, sourcing.

to contract a manufacturer or supplier: Many large companies are now sourcing overseas.

to seek information about or consider possible options, available personnel, or the like: a job recruiter who was merely sourcing.

OTHER WORDS FOR source

1 supplier, originator.

3 authority, reference.

See synonyms for source on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of source

1300–50; Middle English sours (noun) <Old French sors (masculine), sourse, source (feminine), noun use of past participle of sourdre<Latin surgere to spring up or forth

OTHER WORDS FROM source

sourceful, adjectivesource·ful·ness, nounsourceless, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH source

sauce, source

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use source in a sentence

In fact, according to F-35 program sources, the next software upgrades are not yet fully defined nor are they fully funded.
Pentagon Misfires in Stealth Jet Scandal|Dave Majumdar|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But sources said that the evidence so far is pointing away from an ISIS connection.
U.S. Spies See Al Qaeda Fingerprints on Paris Massacre|Shane Harris, Nancy A. Youssef|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
As part of that effort, Said received weapons training for months, sources told The Daily Beast.
U.S. Spies See Al Qaeda Fingerprints on Paris Massacre|Shane Harris, Nancy A. Youssef|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But my sources, my young women and their mother, heroically held firm.
I Tried to Warn You About Sleazy Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2003|Vicky Ward|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST

The advisor would cite reasonable-sounding sources like haltabuse.org and the FBI.
Cover-Ups and Concern Trolls: Actually, It's About Ethics in Suicide Journalism|Arthur Chu|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Here were the sources (in part) of the Po and of the Rhine, but I was rather in haste to bid the former good-bye.
Glances at Europe|Horace Greeley
To fully understand what takes place when trying to study, let the pupil recall that there are three sources of knowledge.
Assimilative Memory|Marcus Dwight Larrowe (AKA Prof. A. Loisette)
There were usually six joints or sources of friction, between the key and the pallet.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller
Rabecque swore angrily and bitterly, and his vexation had two entirely separate sources.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
A series of 12 Maps compiled from the best sources, on the scale of four miles to the inch.
Elements of Agricultural Chemistry|Thomas Anderson

British Dictionary definitions for source

source

/ (sɔːs) /

noun

the point or place from which something originates

a spring that forms the starting point of a stream; headspring
the area where the headwaters of a river risethe source of the Nile

a person, group, etc, that creates, issues, or originates somethingthe source of a complaint

any person, book, organization, etc, from which information, evidence, etc, is obtained
(as modifier)source material

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

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

at source at the point of origin

verb

to determine the source of a news report or story

(tr foll by from) to originate from

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

Word Origin for source

C14: from Old French sors, from sourdre to spring forth, from Latin surgere to rise

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

source

OTHER WORDS FOR source

Origin of source

OTHER WORDS FROM source

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH source

Words related to source

How to use source in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for source

Word Origin for source