verb
Meaning 1
To begin, start.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
commence
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
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Canada, General-American, Received-Pronunciation: /kəˈmɛns/
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Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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Australian, New-Zealand: /kəˈmens/
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rhymes with -ɛns
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CMU ARPABET: K AH0 M EH1 N S Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
verb
Meaning 2
To begin or start.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Appalachia, intransitive
Examples
- At dawn we'll commence to drive.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 3
To begin to be, or to act as.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 4
To take a degree at a university.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, dated, intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Meaning 5
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- We began working at dawn
- Who will start?
- Get working as soon as the sun rises!
- The first tourists began to arrive in Cambodia
- He began early in the day
- Let's get down to work now
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: get down, begin, get, start out, start, set about, set out
Antonyms: none provided
Narrower terms: recommence, strike out, fall, jump off, get to, auspicate, attack, break in, plunge, launch, come on, embark, enter, get cracking, bestir oneself, get going, get moving, get weaving, get started, get rolling
verb
Meaning 6
set in motion, cause to start
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- The U.S. started a war in the Middle East
- The Iraqis began hostilities
- begin a new chapter in your life
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: begin, lead off, start
Antonyms: none provided
Narrower terms: jumpstart, jump-start, recommence, inaugurate, usher in, introduce, set off, start, start up, embark on, commence
verb
Meaning 7
get off the ground
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
- Who started this company?
- We embarked on an exciting enterprise
- I start my day with a good breakfast
- We began the new semester
- The afternoon session begins at 4 PM
- The blood shed started when the partisans launched a surprise attack
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: start, start up, embark on
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: begin, lead off, start, commence
Narrower terms: inaugurate, kick off, open
History
Etymology
From Middle English commencen, comencen (also as contracted comsen, cumsen), from Anglo-Norman comencer, from Vulgar Latin *cominitiāre, formed from Latin com- + initiō (whence English initiate).
Across languages
Translations
56 source translations are retained for this English entry.
- Armenian: սկսել (sksel) — begin, start
- Azerbaijani: başlamaq — begin, start
- Belarusian: пачына́ць (pačynácʹ) — begin, start
- Belarusian: пача́ць (pačácʹ) — begin, start
- Belarusian: пачына́цца (pačynácca) — begin, start
- Belarusian: пача́цца (pačácca) — begin, start
- Bulgarian: запо́чвам (zapóčvam) — begin, start
- Bulgarian: запо́чна (zapóčna) — begin, start
- Bulgarian: наче́вам (načévam) — begin, start
- Bulgarian: поде́мам (podémam) — begin, start
- Catalan: començar — begin, start
- Chinese Mandarin: 開始 /开始 (kāishǐ) — begin, start
- Danish: begynde — begin, start
- Dutch: aanvangen — begin, start
- Esperanto: komenci — begin, start
- Esperanto: komenciĝi — begin, start
- Finnish: aloittaa — begin, start
- French: commencer — begin, start
- Galician: comezar — begin, start
- Georgian: დაწყება (dac̣q̇eba) — begin, start
- German: anfangen — begin, start
- German: beginnen — begin, start
- Greek: αρχίζω (archízo) — begin, start
- Haitian Creole: komanse — begin, start
- Hungarian: elkezd — begin, start
- Interlingua: comenciar — begin, start
- Italian: cominciare — begin, start
- Japanese: 始まる (hajimaru) — begin, start
- Japanese: 始める (hajimeru) — begin, start
- Norwegian: begynne — begin, start
- Norwegian: påbegynne — begin, start
- Persian: آغاز کردن (Aagaaz Kardan) — begin, start
- Polish: poczać — begin, start
- Polish: poczynać — begin, start
- Portuguese: começar — begin, start
- Romanian: începe — begin, start
- Russian: начина́ть (načinátʹ) — begin, start
- Russian: начина́ться (načinátʹsja) — begin, start
- Slovene: pričeti — begin, start
- Slovene: pričenjati — begin, start
- Spanish: comenzar — begin, start
- Spanish: empezar — begin, start
- Spanish: principiar — begin, start
- Spanish: incoar — begin, start
- Spanish: encentar — begin, start
- Spanish: decentar — begin, start
- Swedish: börja — begin, start
- Swedish: begynna — begin, start
- Tagalog: magsimula — begin, start
- Turkish: başlamak — begin, start
- Turkish: başlatmak — begin, start
- Turkish: açmak — begin, start
- Ukrainian: почина́ти (počynáty) — begin, start
- Ukrainian: поча́ти (počáty) — begin, start
- Ukrainian: почина́тися (počynátysja) — begin, start
- Ukrainian: поча́тися (počátysja) — begin, start
Real reading context