generate

[jen-uh-reyt]

verb (used with object)

generated, generating 

1. to bring into existence; cause to be; produce.

   Synonyms: institute, engender, originate, evolve, create

2. to create by a vital or natural process.

3. to create and distribute vitally and profusely.

   He generates ideas that we all should consider.

   A good diplomat generates good will.

4. to reproduce; procreate.

5. to produce by a chemical process.

6. Mathematics.

   1. to trace (a figure) by the motion of a point, straight line, or curve.

   2. to act as base for all the elements of a given set.

      The number 2 generates the set 2, 4, 8, 16.

7. Linguistics.,  to produce or specify (a grammatical sentence or other construction or set of constructions) by the application of a rule or set of rules in a generative grammar.

verb (used without object)

generated, generating 

1. to reproduce; propagate.

generate

/ ˈdʒɛnəˌreɪt /

verb

1. to produce or bring into being; create

2. (also intr) to produce (electricity), esp in a power station

3. to produce (a substance) by a chemical process

4. maths linguistics to provide a precise criterion or specification for membership in (a set)

   these rules will generate all the noun phrases in English

5. geometry to trace or form by moving a point, line, or plane in a specific way

   circular motion of a line generates a cylinder

Other Word Forms

• intergenerating adjective
• nongenerating adjective
• pregenerate verb (used with object)
• ungenerated adjective
• ungenerating adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of generate¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English, from Latin generātus “begotten, produced,” past participle of generāre “to beget”; genus

Word History and Origins

Origin of generate¹

C16: from Latin generāre to beget, from genus kind

Example Sentences

Four years later, Aspiration, a sustainability firm that also generated and sold carbon credits, is out of business.

From Los Angeles Times

But all of this, inevitably, generates fewer headlines than the conduct of his deputy.

From BBC

District Court in Los Angeles, claims the AI company Midjourney generates images that “blatantly incorporate and copy” the movie studios’ famous characters.

From Los Angeles Times

They’ve been around; they have worn edges, and when they intersect, it generates something authentically sweet, as real as the rest of the series is improbable.

From Los Angeles Times

Paluel is one of France's largest nuclear power plants, with each of its four units generating over 1,300 megawatts of power.

From BBC

Related Words

• achieve 
• bring about 
• cause 
• develop 
• engender 
• make 
• provoke 
• set up 
• spawn