What does begot mean?
Begot is the simple past tense of the verb beget, which means to bring a child into existence — literally, to father offspring — or, by extension, to cause something to come about. In its original and oldest sense, begot belongs to the language of genealogy and scripture, describing a father's role in producing descendants, as in long biblical lists of who begot whom. Over time the word acquired a figurative life: events, ideas, and institutions could be said to have begotten consequences, so that one might write that an old grievance begot lasting distrust or that a discovery begot an entire field of science. Today the word survives mainly in literary, religious, and deliberately elevated contexts; everyday English favours plainer alternatives such as 'fathered', 'produced', or 'led to'. Its participial partner, begotten, endures in the familiar phrase 'only-begotten son'. Using begot well signals formality and historical awareness, lending writing an air of gravity and antiquity.
verb (past tense of 'beget')The simple past tense of the verb 'beget', meaning to bring a child into existence as a parent, or more figuratively to cause or give rise to something.
- To have procreated or fathered a child (literal sense, now chiefly literary or archaic).
- To have brought about, caused, or given rise to something abstract (figurative sense).
"The prosperity that trade begot transformed the small port into a thriving city."
"Abraham begot Isaac when he was a hundred years old."
"The resentment sown by that treaty begot decades of conflict between the two nations."
Before it meant anything else, 'begot' was the word your family tree depended on — and it still survives most famously in the phrase 'only-begotten son'.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of begot
Beget derives from Old English 'begietan', meaning to get or beget, formed from the prefix 'be-' combined with the verb at the root of modern 'get'. The word has cognates across the Germanic languages and belongs to the same ancient root that gave English both 'get' and 'forget'. Its past-tense forms split historically into 'begat' and 'begot', with 'begot' emerging as the more regular modern choice while 'begat' persists in older biblical and dialectal texts.
Related word forms
How begot is actually used
In its literal sense of fathering children, 'begot' is now largely confined to literature, genealogy, and archaic or biblical registers; modern English prefers 'fathered' or simply 'had'. The figurative use ('the war begot a new nationalism') remains viable but carries a formal or elevated tone. Note also that 'begot' can occasionally function as a past participle in older English, though 'begotten' is the standard form today.
Easily confused with begot
'Begat' is an alternative past-tense form of 'beget' common in older biblical and dialectal usage, while 'begot' is the more standard modern past tense.
'Begotten' is the past participle of 'beget' (used with 'have' or 'had'), whereas 'begot' serves as the simple past tense.