germinate
verb
ger·mi·nate
ˈjər-mə-ˌnāt 
germinated; germinating
: to cause to sprout or develop
1
: to come into being : evolve
before Western civilization began to germinate—
A. L. Kroeber
A. L. Kroeber2
: to begin to grow : sprout
waiting for the seeds to germinate
Examples of germinate in a Sentence
methods used by gardeners to germinate seeds
Recent Examples on the Web
They are applied to the soil to prevent seeds from germinating or establishing as young plants.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 5 Apr. 2025
Starting Veggie Seeds Outdoors (Direct) Directly sowing vegetable seeds in garden beds saves time, but subjects germinating seeds to weather, pests, and soil inconsistencies.
—Marianne Willburn, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Feb. 2025
Kern cautions that some of the seeds are often crushed in transit but plenty will arrive intact and germinate with ease.
—Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 1 Feb. 2025
Some plants germinate readily outdoors, but still need protection from critters, and diligent attention to watering and weeding.
—Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for germinate
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 5 Apr. 2025
Starting Veggie Seeds Outdoors (Direct) Directly sowing vegetable seeds in garden beds saves time, but subjects germinating seeds to weather, pests, and soil inconsistencies.
—Marianne Willburn, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 Feb. 2025
Kern cautions that some of the seeds are often crushed in transit but plenty will arrive intact and germinate with ease.
—Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 1 Feb. 2025
Some plants germinate readily outdoors, but still need protection from critters, and diligent attention to watering and weeding.
—Erica Browne Grivas, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for germinate
Cite this Entry
“Germinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/germinate. Accessed 8 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
Medical Definition
germinate
verb
ger·mi·nate
ˈjər-mə-ˌnāt
germinated; germinating
: to cause to sprout or develop
: to begin to grow : sprout
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share