originate with

originate with (someone or something)

To begin with someone or something; to have been started or instigated by someone or something. The idea actually originates with my friend Michael, who told me his a dream he had about a robot that travels the cosmos. The trail of dirty money originates with a shell company in the Seychelles.

originate with someone or something

to have been started by someone, something, or during a time period or event. Did this policy originate with you? This idea originated with the committee.

See also: originate

References in classic literature ?

And if this be rightly considered, he will be seen to have been much more merciful than the Florentine people, who, to avoid a reputation for cruelty, permitted Pistoia to be destroyed.[*] Therefore a prince, so long as he keeps his subjects united and loyal, ought not to mind the reproach of cruelty; because with a few examples he will be more merciful than those who, through too much mercy, allow disorders to arise, from which follow murders or robberies; for these are wont to injure the whole people, whilst those executions which originate with a prince offend the individual only.

View in context

I will venture to add that to me the convention mode seems preferable, in that it allows amendments to originate with the people themselves, instead of only permitting them to take or reject propositions originated by others not especially chosen for the purpose, and which might not be precisely such as they would wish to either accept or refuse.