Engender
verb /ɪnˈdʒen.dər/ — To cause or give rise to something.
Definition
To produce, cause, or give rise to a feeling, situation, or condition; to bring something into being, especially something abstract like trust, fear, or controversy.
Beyond the definition
Engender is a generative word — it speaks of origins. Fear is engendered, not simply felt. Trust is engendered, not simply given. The word treats emotions and conditions as things that are created, built up through action and environment over time.
Origin & history
From Old French engendrer, from Latin ingenerare ('to implant'), from in- ('in') + generare ('to beget'). To plant the seed of something inside a situation.
Example sentences
Illustrative sentences for learning, not verified community posts or sourced quotations.
The leader's transparency helped engender trust within the team.
The policy engendered fierce debate on both sides of the aisle.
How to use it
This entry uses a verb. Follow the examples for tense and any objects or prepositions it needs.
Choose “Engender” when the meaning fits your context: To produce, cause, or give rise to a feeling, situation, or condition; to bring something into being, especially something abstract like trust, fear, or controversy.
Synonyms
generate, produce, cause, create, foster
Antonyms
suppress, prevent, stifle, inhibit
Related words
- generate
- foster
- cultivate
- inspire
Engender vs generate
Generate has a mechanical or technical feel — it is the appropriate word for systems, processes, and outputs: generate electricity, generate revenue, generate options. Engender is used for abstract things that grow from conditions: trust is engendered, resentment is engendered, debate is engendered. The word treats emotions and conditions as organic developments rather than outputs. You generate a report; you engender a culture. Generate describes production; engender describes cultivation.
Word in the Wild
See how this word appears in life, language and stories.
Illustrative sentences and imagined stories for learning — not verified sightings, interviews, or sourced quotations.
Fictional scene
Building shared structures together
Three adults work together at a table, interlocking wood and transparent pieces to create a single, supported, and shared structure.
Their collaborative act brings a new, unified bridge into existence. This illustrates engendering, where shared action and cooperation create a situation or a physical reality that would not have emerged from a single, isolated effort.
Image credit: Wordspun · AI-generated conceptual illustration
Questions about this word
What does "Engender" mean?
Engender is verb meaning: To cause or give rise to something.. To produce, cause, or give rise to a feeling, situation, or condition; to bring something into being, especially something abstract like trust, fear, or controversy.
Where does the word "Engender" come from?
From Old French engendrer, from Latin ingenerare ('to implant'), from in- ('in') + generare ('to beget'). To plant the seed of something inside a situation.