To cause something to exist or develop, especially a feeling, situation, or condition.
From Old French *engendrer*, from Latin *ingenerare* ('to produce, beget'), from *in-* ('in') + *generare* ('to create, beget'). The root is related to *genus* ('birth, kind').
To 'engender' something is to midwife it into existence—especially invisible things like trust, fear, or conflict. It’s a reminder that social feelings don’t just appear; we actively create the conditions that give birth to them.
Although 'engender' originally means 'to cause or give rise to,' its root is related to 'gender' and 'generation,' and has sometimes appeared in discourse about how social roles are 'engendered' along gender lines. This can be neutral in academic use but also used to naturalize gendered expectations.
Use it precisely for causation; when discussing gender, clarify that roles are socially constructed rather than biologically inevitable.
["cause","create","give rise to"]
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