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noun where you get sth from ADJ. excellent, fertile, good, lucrative, reliable, rich, valuable a fertile source of ideas a lucrative source of income a rich source of vitamins | important, main, major, principal | cheap a cheap source of labour | external, foreign Do you have any foreign sources of income? | independent an independent source of funding | additional | alternative We need to look for alternative sources of energy. | natural | renewable The village obtains all its energy from renewable sources. | energy, food, heat, light, power, water VERB + SOURCE be, constitute, prove, provide The census constitutes the principal source of official statistics. These crustaceans provide a valuable food source for some fish. | exploit, tap, use (as) The government hopes to tap new sources of employment in the area of health. | locate We tried to locate the source of the sound. PREP. at ~ Under the PAYE system, employees' income is taxed at source (= by the employer). | ~ of a reliable source of advice PHRASES a variety of sources The research was funded from a wide variety of sources. person, book, etc. that gives information ADJ. invaluable, useful, valuable | authoritative, informed, reliable, reputable | unreliable | original | independent | anonymous | primary, secondary | published | biographical, documentary, historical, literary, written | diplomatic, government, intelligence, military, official, police Intelligence sources report a build-up of troops just inside the border. | data, information VERB + SOURCE use (as) | cite, quote Researchers try to quote primary sources wherever possible. | disclose, name, reveal The police refused to reveal the source of their information. SOURCE + VERB claim sth, describe sth, disclose sth, indicate sth, report sth, reveal sth, say sth, suggest sth Government sources indicated that a compromise might be reached. One source said: ‘Our blood is up. We are angry at the way we have been treated.’ | deny sth SOURCE + NOUN material PREP. according to ~s According to informed sources, a takeover bid is planned for next month. | ~ of PHRASES sources close to sb Sources close to the player claim he won't be entering this year's championship.
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source ADJECTIVES/NOUN + source a good/excellent/rich source (= a source that provides a lot of something ) • Milk is a good source of calcium. a useful source • People said television was their most useful source of local information. a major/important source • The lead mines were once a major source of employment for the islanders. a great source • In times of stress, food can be a great source of comfort. the main/primary source • It started as a hobby, but now it is his main source of income. an alternative source • The university is exploring alternative funding sources. an energy source • We hope to see increased usage of renewable energy sources. a food source • Slugs attack potatoes in late summer, when other food sources are disappearing. a power source (= something that produces power ) • First, you need to turn off the power source. a light source (= something that produces light ) • The statue is illuminated by a hidden light source.