originate

originate — verb

1. to begin in a certain place, period, or set of conditions, and develop from ther

1.verbintransitiveC2
Definition

to begin in a certain place, period, or set of conditions, and develop from there

Example

This dance style originated in small clubs near the port.

originate in + place

The phrase originated in a navy office during the war.

time opener + originate in

Common collocations
  • originate in Europe
  • originate from a fault in the engine
  • originate with a teacher
  • originate as a joke
Synonyms
  • begin

    the basic neutral word, less formal and broader in use

  • start

    an everyday alternative, especially common in speech

  • arise

    often used when a problem, question, or situation appears

  • stem from

    stresses cause or source more strongly than first appearance

Grammar Patterns

originate in [place]

originate from [source]

originate with [person or thing]

Usage Note

Often followed by in, from, or with to name the place, source, or conditions at the beginning. Distinguish from sense 2: here the subject is the thing that begins, not the person or action that starts it.

Common Mistakes

The company originated a new phone in 2019.
The new phone originated in the company's lab in 2019.
This sense is intransitive, so the thing itself begins somewhere and does not take a direct object.

2. to first develop or introduce a new idea, method, rule, plan, or similar thing

2.verbtransitiveC2
Definition

to first develop or introduce a new idea, method, rule, plan, or similar thing

Example

The mayor originated the meal plan after hearing parents' complaints.

originate + plan

At the clinic, Maya originated a quicker check-in system for patients.

originate + method

Common collocations
  • originate a campaign
  • originate a method
  • originate a policy
  • originate a public debate
Synonyms
  • start

    the broad everyday verb for making something begin

  • initiate

    a formal near-synonym, often used for plans, talks, or procedures

  • launch

    often used for public projects, products, or campaigns

  • create

    broader and less focused on being the first cause

Grammar Patterns

originate a plan

originate a rule

originate a debate

originate a new method

Usage Note

Usually takes an object naming a plan, rule, invention, campaign, or discussion. More formal than start, and common in writing about officials, teams, events, or documents that set later action in motion.

Common Mistakes

The tradition originated the old village.
The tradition originated in the old village.
If the tradition itself began somewhere, use sense 1 with no object; this sense needs a direct object after originate.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Originate is more formal than begin or start, and it points learners to the source or earliest place of something. Begin and start are broader everyday verbs: a class can begin, and a child can start crying, but originate is usually used for ideas, customs, smells, names, rumours, or problems. Arise often describes something appearing from a situation, especially a problem or question. Stem from focuses even more strongly on cause, not on the first moment. Use originate when the origin itself matters. Say The custom originated in fishing villages, but The class started at nine. You can also say The trouble arose after the storm or The delay stemmed from a broken signal.

originate ↗begin ↗start ↗arise ↗stem from ↗

Etymology

LatinEnglish

Originate came into English from Latin roots built on origo, meaning a beginning or source. English first used it for something having its start in a place or cause, and later also for a person or thing that brings something new into being. That connection with origin is still clear in both main senses today.