origins

NOUN

cause, basis

Synonyms

STRONGEST

ancestor ancestry connection element influence motive provenance root source

STRONG

agent antecedent author base causality causation creator derivation determinant egg embryo fountain generator germ impulse inception inducement inspiration mainspring nucleus occasion parent parentage principle producer progenitor provenience roots seed spring stock well wellspring

WEAK

horse's mouth

Antonyms

STRONG

conclusion effect end ending result

WEAK

close completion consequence death destiny finale goal outcome outgrowth termination

NOUN

beginning, inception

Synonyms

STRONGEST

birth genesis

STRONG

alpha commencement creation dawn dawning embarkation emergence entrance entry forging foundation inauguration ingress initiation introduction launch nativity opener origination outbreak outset rise start

WEAK

blast off day one early stage git go square one starting point

Antonyms

STRONGEST

conclusion end finish

STRONG

close completion death ending exit stop

WEAK

consequence destiny effect finale goal outcome outgrowth result termination

NOUN

family, heritage

Synonyms

STRONGEST

ancestry birth descent lineage

STRONG

beginnings blood extraction maternity parentage paternity pedigree stock

Antonyms

WEAK

close completion conclusion consequence death destiny effect end finale goal outcome outgrowth result termination

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

All are multi-instrumentalists, and their textural range is expanded further by heavy use of sampling, while the band’s genre-fluid tendencies may owe something to its origins in Bristol.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026

"The origins and acceleration mechanisms of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays have been among the biggest mysteries in the field for more than 60 years, since the first example was reported," Murase said.

From Science Daily • Jun. 9, 2026

He shed some light on origins of their romance, revealing that they were “introduced by friends” and immediately formed a strong connection.

From MarketWatch • Jun. 9, 2026

Ashgabat draws the origins of the cult to Turkmenistan's pre-statehood era, when nomadic tribes lived on the desert lands before Russia conquered them in the 19th century.

From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026

While over a dozen major infectious diseases of Old World origins became established in the New World, perhaps not a single major killer reached Europe from the Americas.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond