Definitions
01origin of something
A2 · Elementary Countable noun
n. the place, person, or thing that something comes from.
n. the point of origin or provenance from which something is obtained or initiated.
日本語:源※
“The sun is our primary source of light and heat.”
“The investigation aimed to identify the primary source of the contamination that had affected the local water supply for several months.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
02information or research
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun Academic
n. a book, person, or document that provides information.
n. a document, person, or publication that provides information or evidence for research or news reporting.
日本語:出典※
“You must list every source you used at the end of your essay.”
“The journalist refused to name her source, citing a professional obligation to protect the whistleblower's identity from public exposure.”
03start of a river
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. the place where a river or stream begins.
n. the fountainhead or spring from which a stream or river originates.
日本語:源流※
“The explorers spent weeks searching for the source of the Nile.”
“High in the mountains, the source of the river is nothing more than a small, bubbling spring hidden beneath the rocks.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
04computing/code
B2 · Upper Intermediate Uncountable noun Computing Technical
n. the original instructions written by a programmer.
n. the human-readable instructions written by a programmer before being compiled into machine code.
“The developer shared the source on a public website for others to use.”
“The company decided to release the software's source under an open-license agreement to encourage community-driven improvements and security audits.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
05electronics terminal
C2 · Proficiency Countable noun Science Technical
n. one of the three parts of a special type of transistor.
n. the terminal of a field-effect transistor (FET) through which the majority carriers enter the channel.
“The technician checked the voltage at the source of the transistor.”
“In a typical n-channel MOSFET configuration, the source is often connected to the circuit ground to provide a reference potential.”
Antonyms
06to obtain goods
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to find out where to get something and buy it from there.
v. to find or acquire something from a particular supplier or origin, especially in a business context.
“The restaurant tries to source all its vegetables from local farms.”
“The manufacturer struggled to source high-grade lithium due to recent disruptions in the global supply chain.”
07to provide references
C1 · Advanced Academic · Formal
v. to show where information or a quote came from.
v. to provide or find a citation for a piece of information or a quotation.
“The article was well-written but it was not properly sourced.”
“Academic integrity requires that every claim in the dissertation be meticulously sourced to avoid any suspicion of plagiarism.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “source” in context.
Real-World Examples
“Explosions were heard overnight in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, two diplomatic sources told Reuters.” “The team behind the award-winning film NAZA, which details the Israeli military’s targeting policies in Gaza and its alleged acceptance of high numbers of civilian deaths, have revealed they spoke to more than 100 sources with knowledge of the military systems used in the war.” “Representatives of the Syrian government and Lebanese militant group Hezbollah have held face-to-face talks in Turkey to try to calm tensions between them, according to six sources briefed on the first known meeting between the longtime foes.” “A source familiar with the discussions told the BBC it was prudent to prepare a co-ordinated response with other countries, including those across EU, but added that there were still European reserves left from a coordinated release of strategic fuel stocks earlier in the year.” Etymology
From Middle English sours, from Old French sorse (“rise, beginning, spring, source”), from sors, past participle of sordre, sourdre, from Latin surgō (“to rise”), which is composed of sub- (“up from below”) + regō (“lead, rule”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European h₃réǵeti (“to straighten; right”), from the root h₃reǵ-. Doublet of surge.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
Domains
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A2 KeyIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.3.0–4.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 2.0–2.524–43TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.225–549
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A2 · ElementaryOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/source
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0