germinate

verb

ger·​mi·​nate ˈjər-mə-ˌnāt 

germinated; germinating

transitive verb

: to cause to sprout or develop

intransitive verb

1

: to come into being : evolve

… before Western civilization began to germinate …

—A. L. Kroeber

2

: to begin to grow : sprout

waiting for the seeds to germinate

germination

ˌjər-mə-ˈnā-shən 

noun

germinative

ˈjər-mə-ˌnā-tiv  -mə-nə- 

adjective

Examples of germinate in a Sentence

methods used by gardeners to germinate seeds

Recent Examples on the Web

Grass seed takes about 14 days to germinate, and during that period, the seeds are sitting on the surface of the soil waiting to put out shoots. —Lee Wallender, The Spruce, 30 Apr. 2026

How To Prevent New Weeds Pre-emergent herbicide keeps weed seeds from germinating and blocks them from taking root. —Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 28 Apr. 2026

Quinoa thrives in cool temperatures, germinating when soil temperatures are between 36°F and 68°F. —Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 27 Apr. 2026

The team found the noise spurred these seeds to germinate between 30 and 40 percent faster than seeds that were kept in identical—but quiet—conditions. —K. R. Callaway, Scientific American, 22 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Latin germinatus, past participle of germinare to sprout, from germin-, germen bud, germ

First Known Use

1610, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for germinate

• abdicate
• abrogate
• acetate
• activate
• actuate
• adsorbate
• aggravate
• agitate
• alginate
• alienate
• allocate
• amputate

Kids Definition

germinate

verb

ger·​mi·​nate ˈjər-mə-ˌnāt 

germinated; germinating

1

: to cause to sprout or develop

2

: to begin to grow : sprout

3

: to come into being : evolve

germination

ˌjər-mə-ˈnā-shən 

noun

Medical Definition

germinate

verb

ger·​mi·​nate ˈjər-mə-ˌnāt 

germinated; germinating

transitive verb

: to cause to sprout or develop

intransitive verb

: to begin to grow : sprout

germination

ˌjər-mə-ˈnā-shən 

noun