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n. 1. The point at which something comes into existence or from which it derives or is derived. 2. often origins Ancestry: "We cannot escape our origins, however hard we try" (James Baldwin). 3. The fact of originating; rise or derivation: The rumor had its origin in an impulsive remark. 4. Anatomy The point of attachment of a muscle that remains relatively fixed during contraction. 5. Mathematics The point of intersection of coordinate axes, as in the Cartesian coordinate system. [Middle English origine, ancestry, from Latin orīgō, orīgin-, from orīrī, to arise, be born; see er-1 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] Synonyms: origin, inception, source, root1 These nouns signify the point at which something originates. Origin is the point at which something comes into existence: The origins of some words are unknown. When origin refers to people, it means parentage or ancestry: "He came ... of mixed French and Scottish origin" (Charlotte Brontë). Inception is the beginning, as of an action or process: The researcher was involved in the project from its inception. Source signifies the point at which something springs into being or from which it derives or is obtained: "The mysterious ... is the source of all true art and science" (Albert Einstein). Root denotes what is considered the fundamental cause of or basic reason for something: "Lack of money is the root of all evil" (George Bernard Shaw). |
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