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origin

n. C / U
B2 Upper Intermediate Oxford US //ˈɔɹədʒən// UK //ˈɒɹɪdʒˌɪn// ori·gin General-service

n. the place or moment where something starts or comes from. You use it to talk about where a person was born or how an idea began.

n. the point or place where something begins, arises, or is derived. Often used to describe ancestry, the source of a river, or the starting point of a concept.


SIMPLE

The origin of the word is Latin.

CONTEXTUAL

Researchers are still trying to determine the exact origin of the ancient manuscript found in the cave.

COMPLEX

While the political movement has its origin in local grassroots activism, it has since evolved into a global phenomenon with diverse and sometimes conflicting objectives.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English origine, origyne, from Old French origine, orine, ourine, from Latin orīgō (“beginning, source, birth, origin”), from orior (“to rise”); see orient. Doublet of origo.

Usage

Often used in the plural ('origins') when discussing a person's family history or the complex beginnings of a historical event.

Pitfall

What is the origin from this idea?What is the origin of this idea?The noun origin is almost always followed by the preposition 'of' rather than 'from'.

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