Meaning of origin in English

origin

noun

/ˈɒr.ɪ.dʒɪn/ us

/ˈɔːr.ə.dʒɪn/

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B2 [ C ]

(also origins)

the beginning or cause of something:

It's a book about the origin of the universe.

Her unhappy childhood was the origin of her problems later in life.

What's the origin of this saying? (= Where did it come from?)

Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

the start of something

beginningLet's go back to the beginning. Can you tell me when you arrived at the crime scene?
startI didn't like him from the very start.
endThis is it – the end of the tour.
openingThe opening of the ceremony was marred by protest.
commencementWhat is the commencement date of their contract?
kick-offWhat time is the kick-off for the banquet and show?

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origins [ plural ]

used to describe the particular way in which something started to exist or someone started their life:

The story has obscure origins (= no one knows how it started).

C1 [ U ]

where a person was born:

He is of North African origin.

What is your country of origin?

B2 [ U ]

where an object was made:

The furniture was French in origin.

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This book finally explodes some of the myths about the origin of the universe.
We must contextualize the problem before we can understand its origin.
We begin our dip into local history by examining the town's origins.
The Easter egg has both pagan and Christian origins.
The refugees were deported back to their country of origin.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Origins and sources

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[ C ] medical specialized

the end of a muscle attached to the bone that does not move when the muscle is used

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Substances & structures in the body

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(Definition of origin from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

origin | American Dictionary

origin

noun [ C/U ]

/ˈɔr·ə·dʒɪn, ˈɑr-/

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the thing from which something comes, or the place where it began:

[ C ] the origins of language

[ U ] He studied the origin and development of the nervous system.

A person’s origin is the country from which the person comes:

[ U ] The population is of Indian or Pakistani origin.

mathematics

The origin is the zero point on a number line (= drawing that represents all the numbers that exist), or the point where the horizontal and vertical lines on a graph (= drawing) cross.

originator

noun [ C ] us

/əˈrɪdʒ·əˌneɪ·t̬ər/

Morton was the originator of Arbor Day.

(Definition of origin from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

origin | Business English

origin

noun

/ˈɒrɪdʒɪn/ us

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[ C ]

(also origins [ plural ])

the beginning or cause of something:

The origins of this practice date back to the time of the Depression.

Whether entrepreneurs are self-employed or working as employees, they are often at the origin of radical innovations.

[ U ]

the place where something was made or came from:

The furniture was French in origin.

The origin of the money that financed the deal was unclear.

All these products must state their country of origin clearly on the packaging.

[ U ]

the place where a person was born:

He is of North African origin.

What is your country of origin?

Examples of origin

origin

If afterimages are purely retinal in origin, then percepts that depend on binocular combination should not influence the afterimage.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

These new parties often had origins in the civil society which was allowed to exist during the authoritarian era.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

In seven percent of the cases, the sinus nodal artery took origin from a separate orifice within the same sinus as a major coronary artery.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

All of these suggestions are in line with the field's overarching goal of explaining the nature of interlanguage rules and determining their origins.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The few differences that were found between the two data sets are unlikely to have a representational origin.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The strong jets observed in this study most likely have their origin in the conversion of potential energy to vertical kinetic energy.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Other absences are of unclear origin and explanation.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

This is precisely the time required for the transmission of a wave from the pipe to the origin and back to the pipe.?

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The caption includes the ethnic group of origin, dimensions and acquisition data.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

At the other extreme, consider the sphere of directions at the origin.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

This is specially so if they migrate to a culture that holds an understanding that differs from that of their culture of origin.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Cross-country analysis will be vital in finding appropriate solutions in the countries of both origin and settlement.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The fact that the two populations performed similarly in all biological aspects that were examined in this study suggests that they have a common origin.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

Still, it has to be realized that in allopolyploid species and species with a polyploid origin, homeology across the genome may impede such conclusions.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

It is to be noted that the siblings or relatives are taken from the place of origin of the respective factory worker or the spouse.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

See all examples of origin

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.