the place, time, or situation where something begins or comes from
Scientists are still debating the origin of the universe.
The river's origin is high in the Andes mountains.
a person’s family background, nationality, or social beginnings
Maria is proud of her Mexican origins.
Despite his humble origin, he became a famous inventor.
the fixed point (0, 0) where the axes of a coordinate system meet
On this graph, the line passes through the origin.
Plot the point two units above the origin.
existing from the beginning; the first version of something and not a copy
The museum owns the original handwritten manuscript of the novel.
Keep the original receipt in case you need to return the phone.
✦ Middle English, from Old French, from Latin ‘originalis’ meaning beginning or source
new and different in a creative or interesting way
Her design for the playground equipment is truly original.
The chef adds an original twist to classic dishes.
a person who is unusual, creative, or slightly eccentric in an interesting way
Aunt Clara is a real original who paints her house bright purple every year.
The town is full of originals who inspire the festival's quirky vibe.
in the beginning, before later changes happened
The castle was originally built as a wooden fort.
We originally planned to meet on Friday, but we had to reschedule.
✦ from the adjective original + -ly (adverb suffix), first recorded in English in the 15th century
