Definition of think up

The phrase "think up" has its roots in the early 19th century English language. It is a phrasal verb that combines the preposition "up" with the verb "think". At the time, the "up" in "think up" had a different meaning than it does now. It didn't mean "to a higher place" as it does today, but rather meant "to a source" or "to an origin". The use of "up" in this way was common in the expression "draw up", which meant to create or prepare something from scratch. For instance, "draw up a contract" meant to create a legal document from scratch, as opposed to modifying an existing document. In the same vein, "think up" came to mean to create or generate an idea from scratch, as opposed to modifying or adapting an existing idea. Over time, the origin of the idea became less important, and the phrase came to mean simply "to come up with" or "to invent". Today, the phrase "think up" is commonly used in spoken and written English, especially in informal or conversational contexts. It conveys a sense of creativity and originality, and is often used when generating new ideas or solutions to problems.