Standard Lemma guide

undertaking

noun · verb · 7 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.

  • /ˈʌndə(ɹ)ˌteɪkɪŋ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: AH1 N D ER0 T EY2 K IH0 NG Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The business of an undertaker, or the management of funerals.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A promise or pledge; a guarantee.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

That which is undertaken; any business, work, or project which a person engages in, or attempts to perform; an enterprise.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: enterprise, pursuit, establishment, activity, doings, endeavor, pursuance, undertaking, venture

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The act of one who undertakes (in either sense).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: overtaking

5

verb

Meaning 5

present participle and gerund of undertake

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, gerund, participle, present

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he prepared for great undertakings

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: project, task, labor

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: work

Narrower terms: cinch, breeze, picnic, snap, duck soup, child's play, pushover, walkover, piece of cake, adventure, escapade, risky venture, dangerous undertaking, assignment, baby, enterprise, endeavor, endeavour, labor of love, labour of love, marathon, endurance contest, no-brainer, proposition, tall order, large order, venture, Manhattan Project

7

noun

Meaning 7

the trade of a funeral director

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: trade, craft

History

Etymology

By surface analysis, undertake + -ing.

Across languages

Translations

59 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: погребално бюро (pogrebalno bjuro) — The business of an undertaker, or the management of funerals
  • Chinese Mandarin: 殯儀業 /殡仪业 (bìnyíyè) — The business of an undertaker, or the management of funerals
  • Greek: γραφείο κηδειών (grafeío kideión) — The business of an undertaker, or the management of funerals
  • Russian: похоро́нное бюро́ (poxorónnoje bjuró) — The business of an undertaker, or the management of funerals
  • Russian: ритуа́льные услу́ги (rituálʹnyje uslúgi) — The business of an undertaker, or the management of funerals
  • Russian: бюро́ ритуа́льных услу́г (bjuró rituálʹnyx uslúg) — The business of an undertaker, or the management of funerals
  • Spanish: funeraria — The business of an undertaker, or the management of funerals
  • Swedish: begravningsbyrå — The business of an undertaker, or the management of funerals
  • Bulgarian: гаранция (garancija) — A promise or pledge; a guarantee
  • Bulgarian: поемане на задължение (poemane na zadǎlženie) — A promise or pledge; a guarantee
  • Finnish: sopimus — A promise or pledge; a guarantee
  • Finnish: lupaus — A promise or pledge; a guarantee
  • Italian: garanzia — A promise or pledge; a guarantee
  • Persian: تضمین (tazmin) — A promise or pledge; a guarantee
  • Russian: обяза́тельство (objazátelʹstvo) — A promise or pledge; a guarantee
  • Russian: гара́нтия (garántija) — A promise or pledge; a guarantee
  • Belarusian: прадпрые́мства (pradpryjémstva) — That which is undertaken
  • Belarusian: мерапрые́мства (mjerapryjémstva) — That which is undertaken
  • Belarusian: пачына́нне (pačynánnje) — That which is undertaken
  • Bulgarian: предприятие (predprijatie) — That which is undertaken
  • Bulgarian: дело (delo) — That which is undertaken
  • Chinese Mandarin: 事業 /事业 (shìyè) — That which is undertaken
  • Chinese Mandarin: 任務 /任务 (rènwu) — That which is undertaken
  • Chinese Mandarin: 工作 (gōngzuò) — That which is undertaken
  • Danish: firma — That which is undertaken
  • Danish: virksomhed — That which is undertaken
  • Finnish: hanke — That which is undertaken
  • Finnish: aie — That which is undertaken
  • French: entreprise — That which is undertaken
  • German: Unternehmen — That which is undertaken
  • Ancient Greek: ἐπιχείρημα (epikheírēma) — That which is undertaken
  • Hindi: उपक्रम (upakram) — That which is undertaken
  • Hindi: उद्यम (udyam) — That which is undertaken
  • Hungarian: vállalkozás — That which is undertaken
  • Latin: susceptus — That which is undertaken
  • Latin: coeptum — That which is undertaken
  • Māori: hinonga — That which is undertaken
  • Norwegian Bokmål: foretak — That which is undertaken
  • Persian: مردهشور (morde-šur) — That which is undertaken
  • Persian: گورکن (gurkan) — That which is undertaken
  • Plautdietsch: Äwanämen — That which is undertaken
  • Polish: przedsięwzięcie — That which is undertaken
  • Polish: antrepryza — That which is undertaken
  • Russian: предприя́тие (predprijátije) — That which is undertaken
  • Russian: мероприя́тие (meroprijátije) — That which is undertaken
  • Russian: начина́ние (načinánije) — That which is undertaken
  • Russian: зате́я (zatéja) — That which is undertaken
  • Spanish: emprendimiento — That which is undertaken
  • Spanish: destajo — That which is undertaken
  • Swedish: företag — That which is undertaken
  • Ottoman Turkish: تشبث (teşebbüs) — That which is undertaken
  • Ukrainian: підприє́мство (pidpryjémstvo) — That which is undertaken
  • Ukrainian: за́хід (záxid) — That which is undertaken
  • Ukrainian: почина́ння (počynánnja) — That which is undertaken
  • Yiddish: אונטערנעמונג (unternemung) — That which is undertaken
  • Irish: gabháil — The act of one who undertakes
  • Polish: przedsięwzięcie — The act of one who undertakes
  • Polish: antrepryza — The act of one who undertakes
  • Yiddish: אונטערנעמונג (unternemung) — The act of one who undertakes
Real reading context

undertaking in complete knowledge articles