origin
Pluralorigins
- 1The time or place where something starts, or the source it comes from.
Like finding the spot in the mountains where a river starts.
The origin of the rumor was a single message online.
Always check the origin of the food you buy.
UsageSay the origin of something.
Similarsource, beginning, root, start (entry), provenance
Oppositeend, destination
Note
- 2The family or people that someone comes from.
Like the roots that a tree grows up from.
Her grandparents on her mother's side were of Irish origin.
Many families in the town share the same origins.
UsageSay someone is of humble origins or comes from humble origins.
Similarbackground, ancestry, descent, extraction, lineage
- 3The zero point of a graph or map grid, where measuring starts.
Like the corner where two walls meet.
On the graph, the origin sits where both lines meet.
Plot your first point right at the origin.
UsageSay the origin, with the.
Note
Less common meaning
- 4The end of a muscle that joins to a bone that does not move.
Like the fixed end of a rope tied to a wall while you pull the other end.
The muscle's origin is attached to the shoulder blade.
Anatomy students learn the origin of each major muscle.
UsageSay a muscle has its origin on a bone.
Oppositeinsertion
Note
Practice
Can you tell the meanings of origin apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.
Origin
It comes from Latin "origo," meaning beginning or source, from "orior," to rise. English may have got it through French.
Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 4 facts
- Origin ultimately derives from Latin origo. en.wiktionary.org
- Latin origo means beginning or source. en.wiktionary.org
- Latin origo derives from orior. en.wiktionary.org
- Latin orior means to rise. en.wiktionary.org