to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of some action; commence; start.
The story begins with their marriage.
to come into existence; arise; originate.
The custom began during the Civil War.
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.
to succeed to the slightest extent in (followed by an infinitive).
The money won't even begin to cover expenses.
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, 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.
First recorded before 1000; Middle English beginnen, Old English beginnan, equivalent to be- be- + -ginnan “to begin,” perhaps originally “to open,” akin to yawn
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.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Begin with a modest roux — butter and flour, cooked together until they smell faintly nutty.
From Salon • Apr. 7, 2026
The latest example is a report from Jefferies titled “From Asimov to the Assembly Line: Humanoid Robots Begin to Clock In.”
From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026
Begin by refusing to chase the idealised movie version of Christmas, says psychotherapist and author Philippa Perry.
From BBC • Dec. 21, 2025
Q1 2026: Begin building positions as the 2027 power constraint window becomes consensus view.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 3, 2025
“Thank you, sir, that’s very good of you. Begin with a salt-free diet for General Peckem and a fat-free diet for General Dreedle.”
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
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.
