germinate

verb

ger·​mi·​nate ˈjər-mə-ˌnāt 

germinated; germinating

transitive verb

: to cause to sprout or develop

intransitive verb

1

: to come into being : evolve

before Western civilization began to germinate

—A. L. Kroeber

2

: to begin to grow : sprout

waiting for the seeds to germinate

germination

ˌjər-mə-ˈnā-shən 

noun

germinative

ˈjər-mə-ˌnā-tiv  -mə-nə- 

adjective

Examples of germinate in a Sentence

methods used by gardeners to germinate seeds

Recent Examples on the Web

Okra is a super-fast crop that germinates quickly in warm soil. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 8 July 2025

Like many seeds, peach seeds require a period of cold treatment called stratification to germinate properly. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 28 June 2025

Like many giants, the tree is a slow grower: its seeds take years to germinate, and its fruits can be a decade in ripening. —The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 26 June 2025

Some locations do not allow wedding bouquets with non-native plants because the seeds could potentially germinate. —Sarah Sekula, USA Today, 25 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Latin germinatus, past participle of germinare to sprout, from germin-, germen bud, germ

First Known Use

1610, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for germinate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

Kids Definition

germinate

verb

ger·​mi·​nate ˈjər-mə-ˌnāt 

germinated; germinating

1

: to cause to sprout or develop

2

: to begin to grow : sprout

3

: to come into being : evolve

germination

ˌjər-mə-ˈnā-shən 

noun

Medical Definition

germinate

verb

ger·​mi·​nate ˈjər-mə-ˌnāt 

germinated; germinating

transitive verb

: to cause to sprout or develop

intransitive verb

: to begin to grow : sprout

germination

ˌjər-mə-ˈnā-shən 

noun