engender means to beget (of a man); to bear or conceive (of a woman). It carries an Arena rating of 1491, earned across 5 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, engender ranks #1,110 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #2,051 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #3,825 of 17,130 for Most Beautiful Words, #6,376 of 17,126 for Most Satisfying to Say.
engender is pronounced /ɪnˈdʒɛn.də/.
Why “engender” is a great word
To cause or give rise to a feeling, situation, or condition. From Middle English engendren, from Old French engendrer, from Latin ingenerāre ("to implant, beget, produce"). Unlike "generate," which implies a direct, mechanical production of something tangible, or "provoke," which suggests an immediate, often aggressive incitement, "engender" describes a slower, more atmospheric causation—the patient midwifery of atmosphere from the raw materials of circumstance. It is the particular slant of winter light that engenders solitude, the accumulated weight of small kindnesses that engenders trust, or the quiet, consistent neglect that finally yields a landscape of resentment. It is the unseen current beneath action, the condition before the condition, where cause and effect blur into something almost tender.
Etymology
From Middle English engendren, from Old French engendrer, from Latin ingenerāre.
verb
- To beget (of a man); to bear or conceive (of a woman).
- To give existence to, to produce (living creatures).e.g.“Like all interesting literary figures, he is full of tacit as well as of uttered reference to the conditions that engendered him[…].” — 1891, Henry James, “James Russell Lowell”, in Essays in London and Elsewhere, page 60:
- To bring into existence (a situation, quality, result etc.); to give rise to, cause, create.
- To assume form; to come into existence; to be caused or produced.
- To copulate, to have sex.
- To endow with gender; to create gender or enhance the importance of gender.e.g.“Gender, they emphasize, is socially constructed by our surroundings. We are en-gendered by our families, our teachers, and by the images in our music, films, media and fashions.” — 1981 April 11, Group Material Collective Changing Arttistic Definitions, “Philip Shehadi”, in Gay Community News, page 6:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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