source
Other forms: sources; sourcing; sourced
The noun source describes an origin, like the source who gave the journalist the information that broke a new story, or the place something originates, like the source of a river, or the Web site that is your source for celebrity gossip.
The noun source can also refer to information obtained from documents, such as books, letters, newspapers, and journals. For example, when you write a research paper, you read, paraphrase and quote from sources. A source can also be a place where you get things, like a certain store being your source for discount sneakers or something that provides, like oranges, a good source of Vitamin C.
-
the place where something begins, where it springs into being“Pittsburgh is the source of the Ohio River”
-
types:
- show 10 types...
- hide 10 types...
-
derivation
the source or origin from which something derives (i.e. comes or issues)
-
spring
a point at which water issues forth
-
fountainhead, head, headspring
the source of water from which a stream arises
-
headwater
the source of a river
-
wellhead, wellspring
the source of water for a well
-
jumping-off place, point of departure
a place from which an enterprise or expedition is launched
-
birthplace, cradle, place of origin, provenance, provenience
where something originated or was nurtured in its early existence
-
home
place where something began and flourished
-
point source
a concentrated source (especially of radiation or pollution) that is spatially constricted
-
trail head, trailhead
the beginning of a trail
-
type of:
-
point
the precise location of something; a spatially limited location
-
a place or thing from which something is obtained or derived
-
type of:
-
physical entity
an entity that has physical existence
-
physical entity
-
a facility where something is available
-
types:
-
Golconda
a source of great wealth (especially a mine)
-
gold mine, goldmine
a good source of something that is desired
-
type of:
-
facility, installation
a building or place that provides a particular service or is used for a particular industry
-
Golconda
-
someone who originates or causes or initiates something
-
a person who supplies information
-
synonyms:
informant
-
types:
- show 7 types...
- hide 7 types...
-
betrayer, blabber, informer, rat, squealer
one who reveals confidential information in return for money
-
leaker
a surreptitious informant
-
passive source
an informant who is not assigned to obtain specific intelligence but who routinely passes on whatever information he or she has
-
whistle blower, whistle-blower, whistleblower
an informant who exposes wrongdoing within an organization in the hope of stopping it
-
canary, fink, sneak, sneaker, snitch, snitcher, stool pigeon, stoolie, stoolpigeon
someone acting as an informer or decoy for the police
-
copper's nark, nark
an informer or spy working for the police
-
grass, supergrass
a police informer who implicates many people
-
type of:
-
communicator
a person who communicates with others
-
a document (or organization) from which information is obtained“the reporter had two sources for the story”
-
types:
- show 4 types...
- hide 4 types...
-
source materials
publications from which information is obtained
-
fountainhead, well, wellspring
an abundant source
-
primary source
a firsthand account or contemporary document or artifact that provides information about an event or time period
-
secondary source
a source that describes or analyzes information from primary sources
-
type of:
-
document, papers, written document
writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)
-
a publication (or a passage from a publication) that is referred to“he spent hours looking for the source of that quotation”
-
synonyms:
reference
-
type of:
-
publication
a copy of a printed work offered for distribution
-
publication
-
anything that provides inspiration for later work
-
types:
-
taproot
something that provides an important central source for growth or development
-
muse
the source of an artist's inspiration
-
type of:
-
inspiration
arousal of the mind to special unusual activity or creativity
-
taproot
-
get (a product) from another country or business
-
specify the origin of“The writer carefully sourced her report”
-
type of:
-
document
support or supply with references
-
document
-
(technology) a process by which energy or a substance enters a system“a heat source”“a source of carbon dioxide”
-
antonyms:
-
sink
(technology) a process that acts to absorb or remove energy or a substance from a system
-
types:
-
origin
the source of something's existence or from which it derives or is derived
-
type of:
-
action, activity, natural action, natural process
a process existing in or produced by nature (rather than by the intent of human beings)
-
sink
-
anything (a person or animal or plant or substance) in which an infectious agent normally lives and multiplies
/sɔrs/
/sɔs/
- MLA
- APA
- Chicago
Vocabulary lists containing source
Before you can answer a question on the PARCC English Language Arts/Literacy section, you first need to know what the question is asking. Learn this list of 45 words that we extracted from a PARCC practice test's directions, question stems, and answer options.
A thorough survey of various textbooks, assignments, content area standards, and examinations yields the following list of words compiled by Jim Burke. You cannot expect to succeed on assignments if you do not understand the directions.
Context is king — that’s the lesson you need to internalize as you begin preparing for the vocabulary questions on the SAT. We have identified this pool of 200 words that cut across the disciplines and lend themselves well to context-dependent interpretation. As you learn this list on Vocabulary.com, you will have to rely on context clues in order to determine each word’s meaning in particular sentences. This is the same type of thinking you will need to develop in order to succeed on the SAT! Following our Roadmap to the SAT? Head back to see what else you should be learning this week.