Standard Lemma guide

inception

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

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.

  • /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.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: origin, origination

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: beginning

Narrower terms: germination, cause, preliminary, overture, prelude, emanation, rise, procession

History

Etymology

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
Real reading context

inception in complete knowledge articles