ORIGIN Synonyms: 72 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'origin' distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of origin are inception , root , and source . While all these words mean "the point at which something begins its course or existence," origin applies to the things or persons from which something is ultimately derived and often to the causes operating before the thing itself comes into being. // an investigation into the origin of baseball

Q: In what contexts can 'inception' take the place of 'origin'?

Although the words inception and origin have much in common, inception stresses the beginning of something without implying causes. // the business has been a success since its inception

Q: When might 'root' be a better fit than 'origin'?

While in some cases nearly identical to origin , root suggests a first, ultimate, or fundamental source often not easily discerned. // the real root of the violence

Q: When is 'source' a more appropriate choice than 'origin'?

The meanings of source and origin largely overlap; however, source applies more often to the point where something springs into being. // the source of the Nile // the source of recurrent trouble

origin

noun

ˈȯr-ə-jən

Definition of origin next

as in source

a point or place at which something is invented or provided the origins of human language remain a matter of considerable debate

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in root

the source from which something grows or develops the origin of the tradition of giving presents at Christmastime

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in ancestry

the line of ancestors from whom a person is descended they could trace their origins back 15 generations

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word origin distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of origin are inception, root, and source. While all these words mean "the point at which something begins its course or existence," origin applies to the things or persons from which something is ultimately derived and often to the causes operating before the thing itself comes into being.

an investigation into the origin of baseball

In what contexts can inception take the place of origin?

Although the words inception and origin have much in common, inception stresses the beginning of something without implying causes.

the business has been a success since its inception

When might root be a better fit than origin?

While in some cases nearly identical to origin, root suggests a first, ultimate, or fundamental source often not easily discerned.

the real root of the violence

When is source a more appropriate choice than origin?

The meanings of source and origin largely overlap; however, source applies more often to the point where something springs into being.

the source of the Nile

the source of recurrent trouble

Examples Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of origin The Sky Axe may have spoken, to those who knew its origins, of distant horizons; and now, thanks to the young woman who found it, the skies of the American Midwest are part of its story, too. —

Peter Ross, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Jan. 2025 All inbound flights were being held at their airports of origin until at least 6 p.m. ET, according to Flight Aware. —

NBC News, 7 Jan. 2025 Unfortunately, our origin stories don’t tell us how to resolve any particular ethical dispute. —

Nikhil Krishnan, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024 The site was once the Angola Plantations, a slave plantation owned by Isaac Franklin and named after Angola, the country of origin for many of the enslaved people who worked there. —

Landon Mion, Fox News, 23 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for origin

Recent Examples of Synonyms for origin

Noun

Instead, this late-stage move risks turning a critical national security priority into a source of division.

Emil Sayegh, Forbes, 16 Jan. 2025
With the source of the Nile running through the city, the area attracts tourists who come to raft the river’s rapids and bungee jump over the water, and houses international charity organizations and missionaries that want to set up outside the snarled traffic of Kampala.

Greg Presto, The Athletic, 16 Jan. 2025