originate
/əˈɹɪd͡ʒɪneɪt/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.37 in modern English
10
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
4
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To cause (someone or something) to be; to bring (someone or something) into existence; to produce or initiate a person or thing.
Transitive verb
Example Sentences
- "Einstein originated the theory of relativity."
- "At Putney Bridge the train description transmissions for eastbound trains must be originated as there is no manned signal cabin on the London Transport system beyond this point; [...]."
- "For the first time since Douglas Fairbanks Sr. originated the role in the 1920 silent "The Mark of Zorro," the hero will be played by a Hispanic actor."
- "The financial backers who originated the Encyclopédie project in 1745 had no idea about what they were getting into."
- "Some of the most beautiful and thus appealing physical theories, including quantum electrodynamics and quantum gravity, have been dogged for decades by infinities that erupt when theorists try to prod their calculations into new domains. Getting rid of these nagging infinities has probably occupied far more effort than was spent in originating the theories."
- "The scheme originated with the governor and council."
Etymology
From Medieval Latin orīginātus, perfect passive participle of orīginō (“to begin, give rise to”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) for more), from orīgō (orīgin- in compounds) + -ō. Compare Italian originare and Spanish originar. By surface analysis, origin + -ate.
Word Breakdown
- Root: orīginātus
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /əˈɹɪd͡ʒɪneɪt/
- British English: /əˈɹɪd͡ʒɪneɪt/