engender

verb

en·​gen·​der in-ˈjen-dər How to pronounce engender (audio)
en-
engendered; engendering in-ˈjen-d(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce engender (audio)
en-

transitive verb

1
2
: to cause to exist or to develop : produce
policies that have engendered controversy

intransitive verb

: to assume form : originate

Did you know?

A good paragraph about engender will engender understanding in the reader. Like its synonym generate, engender comes from the Latin verb generare, meaning “to generate” or “to beget,” and when the word was first used in the 14th century, engender meant “propagate” or “procreate.” That literal meaning having to do with creating offspring (which generate shared when it was adopted in the early 16th century) was soon joined by the “to cause to exist or develop; to produce” meaning most familiar to us today. Generare didn’t just engender generate and engender; regenerate, degenerate, and generation have the same Latin root. As you might suspect, the list of engender relatives does not end there. Generare comes from the Latin noun genus, meaning “origin” or “kind.” From this source we took our own word genus, plus gender, general, and generic, among other words.

Examples of engender in a Sentence

The issue has engendered a considerable amount of debate. a suggestion to go out for pizza that didn't seem to engender any interest
Recent Examples on the Web But the feeling engendered by the overall series is one not of satisfaction, but of urgency and unease. Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 12 Mar. 2024 The first Black president engendered a sense of trust and efficacy, Towler said. Darrell Smith, Sacramento Bee, 5 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for engender 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'engender.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English engendren, from Anglo-French engendrer, from Latin ingenerare, from in- + generare to generate

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of engender was in the 14th century

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Dictionary Entries Near engender

Cite this Entry

“Engender.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/engender. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

engender

verb
en·​gen·​der in-ˈjen-dər How to pronounce engender (audio)
engendered; engendering -d(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce engender (audio)
1
: to reproduce offspring
2
: to be the source or cause of : produce
tensions that engender emotional conflicts

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