English Dictionary

Definition of “origin”

origin (ˈɒrɪdʒɪn Pronunciation for origin

Definitions

noun

  1. a primary source; derivation
  2. the beginning of something; first stage or part
  3. often plural ancestry or parentage; birth; extraction
  4. (anatomy)
    1. the end of a muscle, opposite its point of insertion
    2. the beginning of a nerve or blood vessel or the site where it first starts to branch out
  5. (mathematics)
    1. the point of intersection of coordinate axes or planes
    2. the point whose coordinates are all zero See also pole2 (sense 8)
  6. (business) the country from which a commodity or product originates ⇒ shipment from origin

Word Origin

C16: from French origine, from Latin orīgō beginning, birth, from orīrī to rise, spring from

Synonyms

View thesaurus entry
= root, source, basis, beginnings, base, cause, spring, roots, seed, foundation, nucleus, germ, provenance, derivation, wellspring, fons et origo
= ancestry, family, race, beginnings, stock, blood, birth, heritage, ancestors, descent, pedigree, extraction, lineage, forebears, antecedents, parentage, forefathers, genealogy, derivation, progenitors, stirps

Translations for 'origin'

  • British English: originPronunciation for origin You can refer to the beginning, cause, or source of something as its origin or its origins.Scientists study the origin of life on Earth.ˈɒrɪdʒɪn NOUN
  • Arabic: أصْلٌPronunciation for أصْلٌsource
  • Brazilian Portuguese: origemPronunciation for origem
  • Chinese: 起源Pronunciation for 起源
  • Croatian: porijekloPronunciation for porijeklo
  • Czech: původPronunciation for původ
  • Danish: oprindelsePronunciation for oprindelse
  • Dutch: oorsprongPronunciation for oorsprong
  • European Spanish: origenPronunciation for origen
  • Finnish: alkuperäPronunciation for alkuperä
  • French: originePronunciation for origine
  • German: UrsprungPronunciation for Ursprung Ursprünge
  • Greek: προέλευσηPronunciation for προέλευση
  • Italian: originePronunciation for origine
  • Japanese: 起源Pronunciation for 起源
  • Korean: 근원Pronunciation for 근원
  • Norwegian: opprinnelsePronunciation for opprinnelse
  • Polish: zaczątekPronunciation for zaczątek
  • Portuguese: origemPronunciation for origem
  • Romanian: origine origini
  • Russian: происхождениеPronunciation for происхождение
  • Spanish: origenPronunciation for origen
  • Swedish: ursprungPronunciation for ursprung
  • Thai: จุดกำเนิดPronunciation for จุดกำเนิด
  • Turkish: kaynakPronunciation for kaynakçıkış noktası
  • Ukrainian: походження
  • Vietnamese: nguồn gốcPronunciation for nguồn gốc

Example Sentences Including 'origin'

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman said the victim was of Tamil origin.
Liverpool Daily Post and Echo (2004)
A court in Seoul found in favour of Scotch Blue, saying the label clearly showed its name and origin.
Glasgow Herald (2002)
All together, this ought to be enough to determine Phoebe's true origin.
New Scientist (2004)
Find out what is sacred or special in the area, the origin of the place name.
Marian Green A WITCH ALONE
He believes the translated work should retain its foreignness, its proof of origin.
Globe and Mail (2003)
It was also the simplest way of hiding the origin of the money, I thought.
Gagman, Maurice Doubtful Motives
The origin of the word shagging is uncertain, according to the Oxford English Dictionary.
Globe and Mail (2003)
There was little serious crime in the area and only the occasional murder, usually domestic in origin.
Amanda Hemingway THE GREENSTONE GRAIL: The Sangreal Trilogy One (2004)
With his usual thoroughness Calder had packed a lightweight conservative suit of German origin.
Forbes, Bryan The Endless Game

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