generate

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gen·er·ate / ˈjenəˌrāt/ • v. [tr.] cause (something, esp. an emotion or situation) to arise or come about: changes that are likely to generate controversy generate more jobs in the economy. ∎  produce (energy, esp. electricity). ∎  produce (a set or sequence of items) by performing specified mathematical or logical operations on an initial set. ∎  Linguistics produce (a sentence or other unit, esp. a well-formed one) by the application of a finite set of rules to lexical or other linguistic input. ∎  Math. form (a line, surface, or solid) by notionally moving a point, line, or surface.DERIVATIVES: gen·er·a·ble / ˈjenərəbəl/ adj.ORIGIN: early 16th cent. (in the sense ‘beget, procreate’): from Latin generat- ‘created,’ from the verb generare, from genus, gener- ‘stock, race.’

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