begin
verb (used without object)
to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of some action; commence; start.
begin
1 American
[bih-gin]
/ bɪˈgɪn /
verb (used without object)
-
begins,
present (3rd person singular)
-
began,
past
-
begun,
past participle
-
beginning
present participle
-
to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of some action; commence; start.
The story begins with their marriage.
- Antonyms:
- end
-
to come into existence; arise; originate.
The custom began during the Civil War.
verb (used with object)
-
begins,
present (3rd person singular)
-
began,
past
-
begun,
past participle
-
beginning
present participle
-
to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of (some action).
Begin the job tomorrow.
-
to originate; be the originator of.
civic leaders who began the reform movement.
- Synonyms:
- initiate, inaugurate, institute
-
to succeed to the slightest extent in (followed by an infinitive).
The money won't even begin to cover expenses.
Begin
2
American
[bay-gin]
/ ˈbeɪ gɪn /
noun
begin
1
British
/ bɪˈɡɪn /
verb
-
to start or cause to start (something or to do something)
-
to bring or come into being for the first time; arise or originate
-
to start to say or speak
-
(used with a negative) to have the least capacity (to do something)
he couldn't begin to compete with her
-
in the first place
Begin
2
British
/ ˈbɛɡɪn /
noun
begin
Idioms
Synonym Usage
Begin, commence, initiate, start (when followed by noun or gerund) refer to setting into motion or progress something that continues for some time. Begin is the common term: to begin knitting a sweater. Commence is a more formal word, often suggesting a more prolonged or elaborate beginning: to commence proceedings in court. Initiate implies an active and often ingenious first act in a new field: to initiate a new procedure. Start means to make a first move or to set out on a course of action: to start paving a street.
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
beginsimple
-
beginssimple
-
have begunperfect
-
has begunperfect
-
am beginningprogressive
-
are beginningprogressive
-
is beginningprogressive
-
have been beginningperfect progressive
-
has been beginningperfect progressive
Past
-
begansimple
-
had begunperfect
-
was beginningprogressive
-
were beginningprogressive
-
had been beginningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of begin
First recorded before 1000; Middle English beginnen, Old English beginnan, equivalent to be- be- + -ginnan “to begin,” perhaps originally “to open,” akin to yawn
Explanation
To begin is to start. When it begins to snow, every flake looks pretty, drifting gently down from the dark sky. When you begin something, you go ahead with its first part or stage — you can begin the day with a good attitude, or begin a very long book over and over again, always falling asleep before you get to chapter two. You also might begin a journey by lacing up your hiking boots. Things also begin when they have a specific element as a first part, as when a word begins with the letter T.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Three days of contact was the minimum required for a bleached coral to begin to recover, and five ensured full recovery.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
A second phase of the privatization could begin in 2028 and would see the Portuguese state reduce its stake in TAP to become only the second-largest shareholder, the government said Wednesday.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
All five actors, whose careers launched off the back of Girls, will be part of the five-episode revival with production set to begin in 2027.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
As an embryo grows, its cells divide repeatedly and begin taking on specialized functions.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
I had done all of this—I had known the word to begin with— because Luc L’Enfant taught it to me.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Begin in the same starting position as exercise No. 3.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
By rapidly distributing footage of troops entering the fortress, the military echoed a famous 1982 image showing then-defence minister Ariel Sharon and prime minister Menahem Begin at the same spot.
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
Begin with Kewpie mayonnaise — richer, silkier, faintly sweet, and unapologetically egg-forward.
From Salon ● Apr. 14, 2026
Appeared in the April 10, 2026, print edition as 'Israel To Begin Direct Talks With Lebanon'.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
Begin with an introduction that establishes the purpose for all the information that’s to follow.
From "The Thing About Jellyfish" by Ali Benjamin
Symptoms may first emerge during infancy, childhood, or adulthood, and their severity and progression can differ depending on when the condition begins.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026
Medicare Advantage plans with higher ratings get extra payments and can be used by older adults to shop for their health coverage during Medicare’s open-enrollment season, which begins Oct.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
Before dawn breaks over Mumbai, Mansi Kadam begins preparing vada pav, a savoury snack synonymous with the western Indian city, for the day's customers.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
Though many unaffiliated voters have made up their minds, those who remain undecided will begin making decisions soon, as mail ballots go out and early voting begins in some states.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026
He might have visited them already, in fact, but I won’t have a way of checking in with him before my evening shift begins.
From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse
Jeffrey Donaldson's time in politics began in 1985 when he was elected for the UUP as an MLA in South Down.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
Trucks bearing the nations' flags began moving in both directions late morning, AFP reporters at the scene said, some of the North Korean vehicles decorated with flowers.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
Weeks after Hines began working on stablecoin legislation inside the White House, Nxum, which had only dabbled in crypto until that point, started pursuing business with Tether, the world’s largest stablecoin issuer.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
The new White House press secretary told the New York Times on Wednesday that when she first began appearing on cable news, she had asked Pepperdine how she should identify herself.
From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026
He began arranging the rotting fruit in his wagon.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Those prices have begun to bleed into other goods, with the crisis also having an effect on crucial fertiliser supplies.
From Barron's ● Oct. 13, 2026
One of the largest carmakers in the world by sales, Geely has begun establishing a retail and service network in the country.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026
Beyond its striking photographs, Sentinel-3C has already begun demonstrating its ability to gather precise scientific measurements.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 12, 2026
She’s an interloper among established thespians, a woman in her late 50s who has only just begun listening to the little voice inside her, the one begging her to step outside her comfort zone.
From Salon ● Oct. 12, 2026
The storm of questions threatened to blow her off course before she had even begun.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
Participants underwent physical assessments over 47 years, beginning at age 16 and continuing through age 63.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2026
Since 1871, when interest rates were above the median at the beginning of the average 30-year period, the 60-40 portfolio actually did better relative to an all-stock portfolio than when rates were below median.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026
California Science Center members will receive early access to reservations beginning Monday at the same time.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
Gwent area coroner Rose Farmer heard that, had McDonald been given a previous follow-up appointment as recommended, the melanoma would have been diagnosed six months earlier, with treatment beginning almost immediately.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
I was just beginning to think that we were going to pull this off when we came around the corner and ran into Callaway.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
