Definition

1. Noun:

   • A point of origin or procurement: A place, person, or thing from which something originates, is obtained, or can be accessed.
   • A reference or authority: A publication, document, or person providing information or evidence.
   • A point of supply: A facility or provider from which a commodity is available.
   • A starting point: The place where something, such as a river, begins.

2. Verb:

   • To obtain from a specific origin: To procure something from a particular supplier or point of origin.
   • To identify the origin of: To specify the source of information or material.

Examples

• Noun:

  • The journalist protected the identity of her confidential source.
  • Solar energy is a renewable power source.
  • We need to find the source of this rumor.
  • The source of the Nile River was long a mystery.

• Verb:

  • The company sources its materials from sustainable suppliers.
  • The historian carefully sourced every quote in the biography.

Advanced Usage

• "To cite a source": To formally reference where information was obtained.

  • In academic writing, you must cite your sources.

• "At source": At the point of origin or generation.

  • The tax is deducted at source.

• "Primary source": An original document, recording, or account from the time period being studied.

  • Letters and diaries are valuable primary sources for historians.

Variants and Related Words

• Sourcing (n): The process of finding and obtaining materials or products.

  • Global sourcing is a key part of their supply chain strategy.

• Resource (n): A stock or supply of materials or assets that can be drawn upon.

  • The country has vast natural resources.

Synonyms

• Origin: The point or place where something begins.
• Root: The basic cause, source, or origin of something.
• Fountainhead: An original source of something.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Source out: (Less common) To obtain something from an external provider.
  • They decided to source out the manufacturing to reduce costs.

Related Idioms

• Go to the source: To seek information or a solution directly from the point of origin.

  • Don't rely on rumors; if you want the truth, go to the source.

• A source of strength/comfort: Something or someone that provides support or solace.

  • Her faith was a constant source of strength during difficult times.

Noun

1. a publication (or a passage from a publication) that is referred to
   • he carried an armful of references back to his desk
   • he spent hours looking for the source of that quotation
2. anything (a person or animal or plant or substance) in which an infectious agent normally lives and multiplies
   • an infectious agent depends on a reservoir for its survival
3. (technology) a process by which energy or a substance enters a system
   • a heat source
   • a source of carbon dioxide
4. someone who originates or causes or initiates something
   • he was the generator of several complaints
5. a person who supplies information
6. a facility where something is available
7. anything that provides inspiration for later work
8. a document (or organization) from which information is obtained
   • the reporter had two sources for the story
9. the place where something begins, where it springs into being
   • the Italian beginning of the Renaissance
   • Jupiter was the origin of the radiation
   • Pittsburgh is the source of the Ohio River
   • communism's Russian root

Verb

1. specify the origin of
   • The writer carefully sourced her report
2. get (a product) from another country or business
   • She sourced a supply of carpet
   • They are sourcing from smaller companies