originate
verb
orig·i·nate
ə-ˈri-jə-ˌnāt 
originated; originating
: to give rise to : initiate
The composer originated 10 songs for the Broadway musical.
Synonyms
Examples of originate in a Sentence
These stories originated during earlier times.
The book originated as a series of lectures.
The sound seemed to originate from outside the room.
The custom is believed to have originated in the western U.S.
He did not originate the idea.
The policy was originated by the previous administration.
Recent Examples on the Web
The American Airlines jet involved in the Jan. 29 crash originated in Wichita, Kansas, and had 60 passengers on board.
—
Simone Jasper, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2025
These findings help rule out the possibility that the organic molecules originated from Ceres' interior.
—Victoria Corless, Space.com, 30 Jan. 2025
An American Airlines plane originating from Wichita, Kansas, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with a military Black Hawk helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C.
—John Feng, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
Claim about Biden's pardons originated on satirical website Biden marked the final hours of his presidency with an unprecedented move, issuing blanket preemptive pardons to several of Trump’s potential targets, including the four people shown in the Instagram image.
—Joedy McCreary, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for originate 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Simone Jasper, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2025
These findings help rule out the possibility that the organic molecules originated from Ceres' interior.
—Victoria Corless, Space.com, 30 Jan. 2025
An American Airlines plane originating from Wichita, Kansas, carrying 60 passengers and four crew members collided with a military Black Hawk helicopter while landing at Ronald Reagan National Airport near Washington, D.C.
—John Feng, Newsweek, 30 Jan. 2025
Claim about Biden's pardons originated on satirical website Biden marked the final hours of his presidency with an unprecedented move, issuing blanket preemptive pardons to several of Trump’s potential targets, including the four people shown in the Instagram image.
—Joedy McCreary, USA TODAY, 29 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for originate
Dictionary Entries Near originate
Cite this Entry
“Originate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/originate. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Legal Definition
originate
verb
orig·i·nate
ə-ˈri-jə-ˌnāt
originated; originating
: to give rise to
specifically
: to issue (a mortgage loan) usually for subsequent sale in a pool of mortgage loans to a secondary market compare service
: to take or have origin
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share