begin — begin, commence, start, initiate, inaugurate are comparable when they mean to set something going or in progress or to take the first step in a course, process, or operation. Begin, commence, and start are also used intransitively with the… … New Dictionary of Synonyms
start - begin - commence — If you start, begin, or commence something, you do it from a particular time. My father started work when he was ten. The prisoners plan to begin a hunger strike today. I … Useful english dictionary
begin — verb (began; begun; beginning) Etymology: Middle English beginnen, from Old English beginnan; akin to Old High German biginnan to begin, Old English onginnan Date: before 12th century intransitive verb 1. to do the first part of an action … New Collegiate Dictionary
begin — /bi gin /, v., began, begun, beginning. v.i. 1. to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of some action; commence; start: The story begins with their marriage. 2. to come into existence; arise; originate: The custom began during the Civil … Universalium
begin — be•gin [[t]bɪˈgɪn[/t]] v. be•gan, be•gun, be•gin•ning. 1) to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of an action; start 2) to come into existence; arise; originate: The custom began during the war[/ex] 3) to have a first part: The name… … From formal English to slang
commence — verb (commenced; commencing) Etymology: Middle English comencen, from Anglo French comencer, from Vulgar Latin *cominitiare, from Latin com + Late Latin initiare to begin, from Latin, to initiate Date: 14th century transitive verb to enter upon ; … New Collegiate Dictionary
commence — See begin. See begin, commence … Dictionary of problem words and expressions
begin — See begin, commence … Dictionary of problem words and expressions
begin — commence, begin, start 1. Commence is a more formal Latinate word for begin or start. Fowler s advice (1926) was to use begin and its derivatives except when these seem incongruous (which is in fact rare); occasions when commence is more… … Modern English usage
commence — commence, begin, start 1. Commence is a more formal Latinate word for begin or start. Fowler s advice (1926) was to use begin and its derivatives except when these seem incongruous (which is in fact rare); occasions when commence is more… … Modern English usage
