wellspring

[ wel-spring ]

/ ˈwɛlˌsprɪŋ /

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See synonyms for wellspring on Thesaurus.com

noun

the head or source of a spring, stream, river, etc.; fountainhead.

a source or supply of anything, especially when considered inexhaustible: a wellspring of affection.

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Origin of wellspring

First recorded before 900; Middle English welle spring, Old English wyllspring(e); see origin at well², spring

Words nearby wellspring

well-shaped, Wells, H. G., well-situated, well-spent, well-spoken, wellspring, well-stacked, well-stocked, well-suited, well-supplied, well-supported

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

How to use wellspring in a sentence

The dynamic interplay of task automation, innovation, and new work creation, while always disruptive, is a primary wellspring of rising productivity.
The work of the future|David Autor, David A. Mindell, and Elisabeth B. Reynolds|December 17, 2021|MIT Technology Review
Skeptics might question the conceit that a lost memo is the wellspring for what Wallace Stegner would call “the best idea we ever had,” and indeed the thread is thin at first.
How did our national parks come to be? A new book explores their rocky start.|John Taliaferro|October 29, 2021|Washington Post
That country, where these paintings were exhibited in 2018, also seems to be the wellspring of the artist’s imagery.
In the galleries: Images focus on the future of the planet|Mark Jenkins|May 28, 2021|Washington Post
As Brooks has written, “The wellspring of all questions is wonder and curiosity and a capacity for delight.”
After a year of covid life, we’ve run out of things to talk about. Try these conversation tips.|Galadriel Watson|March 25, 2021|Washington Post

It’s another to be responsible for the entire meal yourself, with Wi-Fi as your only link to that wellspring of knowledge.
Multicultural cooking classes offer up something tasty on Zoom|By Max Falkowitz/Saveur|December 11, 2020|Popular-Science
Nor should our recognition of Edward Snowden occasion our rejection of peace and joy as a wellspring of our lives.
Edward Snowden, Not Pope Francis, Is the Person of the Year|James Poulos|December 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Mexico, Mexico City in particular, has been a wellspring for the global art world for a while.
Mexico’s Dark Past and Present|William O’Connor|June 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Jeffress was of course tapping into a wellspring of anti-Mormon prejudice in the culture.
Calling Out Christian Hatemongers|Lauren Ashburn|October 14, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Holy men have a wellspring of pity in their hearts, to which ordinary men are total strangers.
The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews|Thomas Charles Edwards
She could dam up the wellspring of her impulses, walk steadfast along the accustomed ways.
Big Timber|Bertrand W. Sinclair
The famous Minerva press was the first mighty wellspring whence gushed the broad and rapid torrent of cheap fiction.
The Continental Monthly, Vol III, Issue VI, June, 1863|Various
The Sclav race is a rich poetic wellspring, but it depends upon what one means by poetry.
Russia: Its People and Its Literature|Emilia Pardo Bazán
Like a Strong Silent Man he held in that wellspring of champagne and mercury until many many years later.
Modern Essays|John Macy

British Dictionary definitions for wellspring

wellspring

/ (ˈwɛlˌsprɪŋ) /

noun

the source of a spring or stream; fountainhead

a source of continual or abundant supply

Word Origin for wellspring

Old English welspryng, wylspring; see well ², spring

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

wellspring

Origin of wellspring

Words nearby wellspring

Words related to wellspring

How to use wellspring in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for wellspring

Word Origin for wellspring