origin

noun

The beginning of something.

The source of a river, information, goods, etc.

(in the plural) Ancestry.

(mathematics) The point at which the axes of a coordinate system intersect.

(cartography) An arbitrary point on Earth's surface, chosen as the zero for a system of coordinates.

(anatomy) The proximal end of attachment of a muscle to a bone that will not be moved by the action of that muscle.

(rugby league) the State of Origin series (an annual best-of-three rugby league series between New South Wales and Queensland, nicknamed the "Blues" and the "Maroons", respectively)

Roots

oriororig- · Latin · rise, arise

Words related to origin

bloodlinen originatingv originatedv originatesv onomatologyadj filiationn etymonn etymologizev derivingn stemman autochthonn primordialadj nationalityn derivedadj matrilineagen progenitorsn identityn autochthonousadj primordialityn

Synonyms & related words for origin

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of origin — including parentage, ancestry, origination, source, lineage, provenience. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to origin

Explore words related to origin — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include bloodline, originating, originated, originates, onomatology, filiation, etymon, etymologize. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for origin

Common synonyms for origin include parentage, ancestry, origination, source, lineage, provenience, inception, descent — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does origin come from?

The word origin breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root orig-, from Latin orior (“rise, arise”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.