What does begotten mean?
"Begotten" is the past participle of the verb "beget," meaning to father a child or to bring something into existence. In its literal sense it describes male parentage, most familiar today from biblical genealogies, where generations are listed as one patriarch begot another. In a figurative sense it can describe anything that has given rise to something else, such as a decision that begot a conflict or a tradition begotten by earlier custom. The word survives chiefly in formal, literary, and religious registers; its most famous appearance is the Nicene Creed, where Jesus is described as "begotten, not made," distinguishing divine generation from creation. Outside such contexts it sounds archaic or deliberately elevated, and ordinary speech favors words like "fathered," "sired," or simply "had." Its enduring presence in scripture and liturgy keeps it recognizable even to speakers who would never use it conversationally, making it a distinctive marker of solemnity and antiquity in English.
verb (past participle)The past participle of "beget": to have fathered or brought a child into existence; more broadly, to have given rise to something. It is used chiefly in formal, literary, archaic, and religious contexts.
- (Of a man) having fathered or procreated a child; brought into existence as offspring.
- Having given rise to, produced, or brought about something abstract, such as an idea, movement, or consequence.
"Abraham begot Isaac, who in turn begot Jacob."
"According to the genealogy, Jesse begot David, and David begot Solomon."
"The prosperity of the postwar years begotten by industrial expansion reshaped the entire region."
It's one of the few English verbs whose past participle is now more famous than any modern use — immortalized forever in the Nicene Creed's "begotten, not made."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of begotten
"Begetten" derives from Old English "begietan," formed from the prefix "be-" plus "gietan" (to get), tracing back to the Germanic root behind modern "get" and "forget." The verb meant to obtain, then specifically to procreate, and its past participle took the form "begoten" in Middle English, which developed into modern "begotten" alongside the shortened "begot." It is thus a native Germanic word, cognate with related forms in other Germanic languages, rather than a borrowing from Latin or Greek.
Related word forms
How begotten is actually used
Highly formal and largely archaic outside religious texts, genealogies, and literary prose. In everyday speech, modern speakers say "had a child," "fathered," or use the simpler past participle "begot" less often still. The word carries an elevated, sometimes solemn register, especially in the phrase "only-begotten Son" referring to Jesus in Christian theology.
Easily confused with begotten
"Forgotten" is the past participle of "forget" (meaning not remembered), while "begotten" is the past participle of "beget" (meaning to have fathered or produced); the two share a similar ending but are unrelated in meaning.
"Begat" is the simple past tense of "beget," while "begotten" is its past participle, used with "have/had" or in passive constructions.