source
Americannoun
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any thing or place from which something comes, arises, or is obtained; origin.
Which foods are sources of calcium?
- Synonyms:
- originator, supplier
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the beginning or place of origin of a stream or river.
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a book, statement, person, etc., supplying information.
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the person or business making interest or dividend payments.
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a manufacturer or supplier.
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Archaic. a natural spring or fountain.
verb (used with object)
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to give or trace the source for.
The research paper was not accurately sourced.
The statement was sourced to the secretary of state.
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to find or acquire a source, especially a supplier, for.
Some of the components are now sourced in Hong Kong.
verb (used without object)
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to contract a manufacturer or supplier.
Many large companies are now sourcing overseas.
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to seek information about or consider possible options, available personnel, or the like.
a job recruiter who was merely sourcing.
noun
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the point or place from which something originates
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a spring that forms the starting point of a stream; headspring
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the area where the headwaters of a river rise
the source of the Nile
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a person, group, etc, that creates, issues, or originates something
the source of a complaint
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any person, book, organization, etc, from which information, evidence, etc, is obtained
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( as modifier )
source material
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anything, such as a story or work of art, that provides a model or inspiration for a later work
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electronics the electrode region in a field-effect transistor from which majority carriers flow into the interelectrode conductivity channel
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at the point of origin
verb
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to determine the source of a news report or story
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to originate from
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(tr) to establish an originator or source of (a product, piece of information, etc)
Other Word Forms
- sourceful adjective
- sourcefulness noun
- sourceless adjective
Etymology
Origin of source
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English sours (noun), from Old French sors (masculine), sourse, source (feminine), noun use of past participle of sourdre, from Latin surgere “to spring up or forth”; surge
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"It's taken a long time to source everything, but I've loved every minute of it," he added.
From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026
Instead, the precious metal has offered something that may be even better — a source of liquidity.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 4, 2026
As a number of U.S. private-equity investors have pulled back since 2022, sovereign-wealth funds in the Mideast became a more important source of capital for the industry.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni began a surprise visit to Saudi Arabia as part of a Gulf tour to boost "national energy security", a government source said.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
When the silk cotton tree opened its flame-red flowers we had a new source of food.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
