starting point; origin; beginning
Refers to the fundamental starting point or basis of something, often used in abstract contexts like ideas, movements, or personal philosophy.
His way of thinking always returns to the starting point.
The origin of this discussion was a small meeting ten years ago.
Mathematical term for the point where coordinate axes intersect, typically (0,0) in a Cartesian plane.
The origin of the graph is the point where the x-axis and y-axis intersect.
datum point; reference point
Technical term for a fixed reference point used in surveying, engineering, or measurement.
In surveying, it is necessary to accurately measure the distance from the datum point.
Whenever I'm stuck, I try to go back to my starting point and think it through.
I looked into the origins of this festival.
Distances are measured starting from the origin.