noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
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
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/ɪnˈsɛpʃən/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɛpʃən
CMU ARPABET:IH2 N S EH1 P SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The creation or beginning of something; the establishment.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Examples
From its inception, the agency has been helping people obtain and properly install car seats for children.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A layering, nesting, or recursion of something within itself.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
an event that is a beginning; a first part or stage of subsequent events
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Late Middle English, borrowed from Latin inceptiō, from inceptus, perfect passive participle of incipiō (“to begin”). The layering sense derives from the 2010 science fiction film Inception, in which a team of people infiltrate someone’s subconscious mind, proceeding through several layers of dreams with the goal of causing someone to incept an idea.
Across languages
Translations
57 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
اِسْتِهْلَال
(istihlāl)
— the creation or beginning of something
Armenian:
սկիզբ
(skizb)
— the creation or beginning of something
Armenian:
սկզբնակետ
(skzbnaket)
— the creation or beginning of something
Bulgarian:
начало
(načalo)
— the creation or beginning of something
Bulgarian:
зараждане
(zaraždane)
— the creation or beginning of something
Catalan:
inici
— the creation or beginning of something
Chinese Mandarin:
开端
(kāiduān)
— the creation or beginning of something
Danish:
begyndelse
— the creation or beginning of something
Danish:
start
— the creation or beginning of something
Danish:
tilblivelse
— the creation or beginning of something
Dutch:
aanvang
— the creation or beginning of something
Dutch:
begin
— the creation or beginning of something
Esperanto:
eko
— the creation or beginning of something
Finnish:
alku
— the creation or beginning of something
Finnish:
aloitus
— the creation or beginning of something
Finnish:
perustaminen
— the creation or beginning of something
French:
commencement
— the creation or beginning of something
French:
début
— the creation or beginning of something
Georgian:
დასაწყისი
(dasac̣q̇isi)
— the creation or beginning of something
German:
Anfang
— the creation or beginning of something
German:
Beginn
— the creation or beginning of something
German:
Einführung
— the creation or beginning of something
Hebrew:
הַתְחָלָה
(hatkhalá)
— the creation or beginning of something
Hungarian:
kezdet
— the creation or beginning of something
Hungarian:
létrejötte
— the creation or beginning of something
Icelandic:
upphaf
— the creation or beginning of something
Icelandic:
byrjun
— the creation or beginning of something
Italian:
debutto
— the creation or beginning of something
Italian:
inizio
— the creation or beginning of something
Italian:
principio
— the creation or beginning of something
Latin:
inceptiō
— the creation or beginning of something
Norwegian:
begynnelse
— the creation or beginning of something
Polish:
początek
— the creation or beginning of something
Polish:
rozpoczęcie
— the creation or beginning of something
Portuguese:
conceção
— the creation or beginning of something
Portuguese:
concepção
— the creation or beginning of something
Portuguese:
início
— the creation or beginning of something
Portuguese:
começo
— the creation or beginning of something
Romanian:
început
— the creation or beginning of something
Russian:
нача́ло
(načálo)
— the creation or beginning of something
Russian:
отправная точка
(otpravnaja točka)
— the creation or beginning of something
Russian:
исходное положе́ние
(isxodnoje položénije)
— the creation or beginning of something
Slovak:
počiatok
— the creation or beginning of something
Slovak:
vznik
— the creation or beginning of something
Spanish:
comienzo
— the creation or beginning of something
Spanish:
inicio
— the creation or beginning of something
Spanish:
encetadura
— the creation or beginning of something
Spanish:
encentadura
— the creation or beginning of something
Spanish:
encentamiento
— the creation or beginning of something
Spanish:
incepción
— the creation or beginning of something
Swedish:
början
— the creation or beginning of something
Swedish:
påbörjande
— the creation or beginning of something
Swedish:
start
— the creation or beginning of something
Tamil:
துவக்கம்
(tuvakkam)
— the creation or beginning of something
Turkish:
başlama
— the creation or beginning of something
Turkish:
başlangıç
— the creation or beginning of something
Turkish:
iftitah
— the creation or beginning of something