originate Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. verb come into existence; take on form or shape
    develop; rise; uprise; spring up; arise; grow.
    • A new religious movement originated in that country
    • a love that sprang up from friendship
    • the idea for the book grew out of a short story
    • An interesting phenomenon uprose
  2. verb bring into being
    initiate; start.
    • He initiated a new program
    • Start a foundation
  3. verb begin a trip at a certain point, as of a plane, train, bus, etc.
    • The flight originates in Calcutta

WordNet


O*rig"i*nate transitive verb
Etymology
From Origin.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Originated ; present participle & verbal noun Originating
Definitions
  1. To give an origin or beginning to; to cause to be; to bring into existence; to produce as new.
    A decomposition of the whole civill and political mass, for the purpose of originating a new civil order. Burke.
O*rig"i*nate intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To take first existence; to have origin or beginning; to begin to exist or act; as, the scheme originated with the governor and council.

Webster 1913