originator

noun

orig·​i·​na·​tor ə-ˈri-jə-ˌnā-tər 

plural originators

: someone or something that originates or gives rise to something

the originator of the idea/theory

a technique named after its originator

Persia was the originator of melons, cucumbers, and pears.

—Carol Bly

Synonyms

• inventor
• designer
• creator
• founder

Examples of originator in a Sentence

Thomas Edison was the originator of the light bulb

Copernicus is sometimes hailed as the originator of modern astronomy, for he overturned the notion of an earth-centered universe

Recent Examples on the Web

But those are the originators of the form. —Michael Nied, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025

The Apple core of the Macintosh It's sometimes forgotten that Raskin was the originator of the Macintosh project in 1979. —Cameron Kaiser, ArsTechnica, 12 Sep. 2025

As an aside, mortgage loan originators can have their compensation clawed back by the lender if the mortgage pays off in less than six months. —Jeff Lazerson, Oc Register, 11 Sep. 2025

The company offers a marketplace for home equity loan originators to sell loans on the blockchain, as well as makes home equity loans, some which are backed by cryptocurrency. —Megan Poinski, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1785, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for originator

• accelerator
• accumulator
• adjudicator
• administrator
• appropriator
• articulator
• attenuator
• bronchodilator
• collaborator
• communicator
• conciliator
• cooperator