Wellspring

//ˈwɛlsprɪŋ// noun

noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The source of water for a stream, spring or well; a fountainhead; a wellhead.
  2. 2
    an abundant source wordnet
  3. 3
    A perennial source of anything; a fountainhead of supply or emanation; resource. figuratively

    "We’re so often taught to simply believe in ourselves—to trust our instincts—that to see a narrative in which second-guessing oneself and refusing one’s deepest impulses is a potential wellspring of charity and good is, in itself, noteworthy."

  4. 4
    the source of water for a well wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
wellwellheadbonanzacornucopiaderivationfont

Example

More examples

"The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook."

Etymology

From Middle English wellespring, from Old English wiellspring, wiellġespring (“spring, fount, fountain”), corresponding to well + spring. More at well, spring.

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.