engender

What does “engender” mean?

verb.to cause or give rise to (a feeling, situation, or condition).

SAT Usage

this verb often appears in passages discussing social issues, relationships, or creative processes, emphasizing the active role of an agent in producing specific outcomes or feelings. It implies a deeper causative relationship than similar words like "create" or "produce," highlighting the potential for complex interactions that lead to the development of emotions or situations.

Common Confusions

Engender implies an active causation of feelings or situations, while create usually suggests the simple act of bringing something into existence without the same depth of relational impact.

Example Sentences

• Shared struggle can engender a powerful sense of unity.

• The committee needed to engender the proposal before making a final decision.

Word Parts: How to Remember “engender”

Break “engender” into its parts: en- (in, into) + -gen- (birth, origin, kind). Knowing roots like these helps you decode unfamiliar SAT vocabulary.

• Prefix: en- in, into (Latin)
• Root: -gen- birth, origin, kind (Latin)