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Synonyms

source

American  
[sawrs, sohrs] / sɔrs, soʊrs /

noun

  1. any thing or place from which something comes, arises, or is obtained; origin.

    Which foods are sources of calcium?

    Synonyms:
    originator, supplier
  2. the beginning or place of origin of a stream or river.

  3. a book, statement, person, etc., supplying information.

    Synonyms:
    reference, authority
  4. the person or business making interest or dividend payments.

  5. a manufacturer or supplier.

  6. Archaic. a natural spring or fountain.


verb (used with object)

sourced, sourcing
  1. to give or trace the source for.

    The research paper was not accurately sourced.

    The statement was sourced to the secretary of state.

  2. to find or acquire a source, especially a supplier, for.

    Some of the components are now sourced in Hong Kong.

verb (used without object)

sourced, sourcing
  1. to contract a manufacturer or supplier.

    Many large companies are now sourcing overseas.

  2. to seek information about or consider possible options, available personnel, or the like.

    a job recruiter who was merely sourcing.

source British  
/ sɔːs /

noun

  1. the point or place from which something originates

    1. a spring that forms the starting point of a stream; headspring

    2. the area where the headwaters of a river rise

      the source of the Nile

  2. a person, group, etc, that creates, issues, or originates something

    the source of a complaint

    1. any person, book, organization, etc, from which information, evidence, etc, is obtained

    2. ( as modifier )

      source material

  3. anything, such as a story or work of art, that provides a model or inspiration for a later work

  4. electronics the electrode region in a field-effect transistor from which majority carriers flow into the interelectrode conductivity channel

  5. at the point of origin

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to determine the source of a news report or story

  2. to originate from

  3. (tr) to establish an originator or source of (a product, piece of information, etc)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

"The Saudi army has raised its readiness to full alert," the source close to the military told AFP after the incident.

From Barron's

AFP has not been able to verify the death tolls provided by Iranian sources.

From Barron's

Saudi Aramco’s Ras Tanura oil refinery was partially closed External link after being hit by debris following the interception of two drones, Saudi Press Agency reported, citing a source at the Ministry of Energy.

From Barron's

“For all of the meals that I cook, I source all the ingredients from the farmers market and great purveyors who are focused on sustainability and regenerative farming.”

From Los Angeles Times

Foreign Office sources said no evacuation was imminent but the government was preparing for potential scenarios if commercial flights remained grounded.

From BBC