generate — English Dictionary

Verb

1. To bring into being; give rise to.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Examples

   The discussion generated an uproar.

   The Ecclesiastical Commission was generated by Sir Robert Peel and bore the marks of Peel’s personality; bureaucratic, capable and cold.

   More examples (3)

   In the last 20 minutes Athletic began to generate the sort of pressure of which they are capable, but by then it was far too late: the game had begun to slip away from them as early as the seventh minute.

   The ability to shift profits to low-tax countries by locating intellectual property in them[…]is often assumed to be the preserve of high-tech companies.[…]current tax rules make it easy for all sorts of firms to generate[…]“stateless income”: profit subject to tax in a jurisdiction that is neither the location of the factors of production that generate the income nor where the parent firm is domiciled.

   “If I can generate a book in a day, and you need six months to write a book, who’s going to win the race?” she said.

2. To produce as a result of a chemical or physical process.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Examples

   Adding concentrated sulphuric acid to water generates heat.

3. To procreate, beget.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Examples

   They generated many offspring.

4. To form a figure from a curve or solid.

   Usage

   • Transitive

   Examples

   Rotating a circle generates a sphere.

5. To appear or occur; be generated.

   Usage

   • Intransitive

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   Mrs. Fennel, seeing the steam begin to generate on the countenances of her guests, crossed over and touched the fiddler's elbow and put her hand on the serpent's mouth.

Adjective

1. Generated, not self-existent.

   Usage

   • not-comparable
   • Rare

   Antonyms

   ingenerate

   Examples

   More examples (1)

   But neither is one time generated in another; for if the preſent be generated in the future, the future muſt be present; and if in the paſt, the paſt. The ſame may be ſaid of other times; therefore one time is not generated in another. Now if time be neither generated in itſelf, nor one time in another, it is not generate at all. But that it is not ingenerate, we ſhewed also. Therefore ſeeing it is neither generate nor ingenerate, it is not at all; for every Beeing muſt either be generate or ingenerate.

   It poses the thorny problem of the status of the Logos. Is he generate or ingenerate?.. Justin replies that he is generate—but in a special sense.

Verb

1. produce, create

   Synonyms

   bring forth

   Broader terms

   makecreate

   Examples

   The new manager generated a lot of problems

   The computer bug generated chaos in the office

   More examples (2)

   The computer generated this image

   The earthquake generated a tsunami

2. give or supply

   Synonyms

   renderyieldreturngive

   Broader terms

   producemakecreate

   Examples

   The cow brings in 5 liters of milk

   This year's crop yielded 1,000 bushels of corn

   More examples (1)

   The estate renders some revenue for the family

3. produce (energy)

   Broader terms

   producemakecreate

   Examples

   We can't generate enough power for the entire city

   The hydroelectric plant needs to generate more electricity

4. make (offspring) by reproduction

   Synonyms

   begetgetengenderfathermothersirebring forth

   Broader terms

   makecreate

   Examples

   Abraham begot Isaac

   John fathered four daughters