beget

verb

be·​get bi-ˈget 

bē-

begot bi-ˈgät 

bē-

also begat bi-ˈgat 

bē-

; begotten bi-ˈgä-tᵊn 

bē-

or begot; begetting

transitive verb

1

: to procreate as the father : sire

He died without begetting an heir.

2

: to produce especially as an effect or outgrowth

Violence only begets more violence.

begetter noun

Synonyms of beget

• create
• cause
• generate
• bring
• produce
• prompt
• do
• spawn

Examples of beget in a Sentence

He died without begetting an heir.

one change in the natural environment will beget others

Recent Examples on the Web

The accolades and ballooning crowds beget a prime slot at Coachella. — Marisa Fox, Rolling Stone, 16 July 2026

Distance begets latency; each kilometer of satellite separation adds more microseconds of latency, and those microseconds matter. — Eric Berger, ArsTechnica, 15 July 2026

That creates a positive feedback loop — weaker winds beget more warm water shifting to the east, which weakens winds even more. — Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2026

To remain an entertainment capital demands consistent reinvention, the showroom’s neon glow begetting the nightclub’s flashing LEDs and so on and so forth. — Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 26 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English begeten, beyeten, going back to Old English begietan "to get, beget," from be- be- + gietan "to get entry 1"

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for beget

• abet
• asset
• baguette
• banquette
• barbette
• beset
• binet
• briquette
• brunet
• brunette
• burette
• cadet

Kids Definition

beget

verb

be·​get bi-ˈget 

begot -ˈgät  also begat -ˈgat  ; begotten -ˈgät-ᵊn  or begot; begetting

1

: to become the father of

2

: cause entry 2

begetter noun