undertake
Americanverb (used with object)
-
undertakes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
undertook,
past
-
undertaken,
past participle
-
undertaking
present participle
-
to take upon oneself, as a task, performance, etc.; attempt.
She undertook the job of answering all the mail.
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to promise, agree, or obligate oneself (followed by an infinitive).
The married couple undertook to love, honor, and cherish each other.
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to warrant or guarantee (followed by a clause).
The sponsors undertake that their candidate meets all the requirements.
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to take in charge; assume the duty of attending to.
The lawyer undertook a new case.
verb (used without object)
-
undertakes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
undertook,
past
-
undertaken,
past participle
-
undertaking
present participle
verb
-
(tr) to contract to or commit oneself to (something) or (to do something)
to undertake a job
to undertake to deliver the goods
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(tr) to attempt to; agree to start
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(tr) to take (someone) in charge
-
archaic to make oneself responsible (for)
-
(tr) to promise
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
undertakesimple
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undertakessimple
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have undertakenperfect
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has undertakenperfect
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am undertakingprogressive
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are undertakingprogressive
-
is undertakingprogressive
-
have been undertakingperfect progressive
-
has been undertakingperfect progressive
Past
-
undertooksimple
-
had undertakenperfect
-
was undertakingprogressive
-
were undertakingprogressive
-
had been undertakingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of undertake
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English undertaken; see under-, take
Explanation
When you undertake a task or challenge, you attempt to accomplish it. If you want to undertake a verbal challenge right now, try saying “sushi chef” ten times quickly without messing up. Way back in the 13th century, undertake meant “seize” or “entrap.” Of course, the meaning has shifted significantly since then, and we hope you don’t feel entrapped when you decide to undertake a project. However, undertake does convey a level of commitment and involvement that’s somewhat stronger than the words try or attempt might suggest.
Vocabulary lists containing undertake
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Franklin D. Roosevelt, "A Date That Will Live In Infamy" (1941)
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The Mayflower Compact (1620)
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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:
They also cautioned against people being "encouraged or supported commercially" to undertake the trail.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
Our experiment used photons – quantum particles of light – and the against-the-odds journey they must undertake to pass straight through a cloud of rubidium atoms.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026
December 28: Boeing urges airlines to undertake inspections after an international operator discovered a bolt with a missing nut while performing routine maintenance.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
Don’t be stingy and try to undertake heavy-duty jobs yourself, another expert advised.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 1, 2026
“Is that so? Wonderful. I hope you will allow me to offer you some refreshment before you undertake your task.”
From "Huntress" by Malinda Lo
In the memorandum of understanding, the United States undertakes to "terminate all types of sanctions against" Iran, and to "make fully available for use the frozen or restricted funds and assets" of Iran.
From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026
The eleventh point of the document notes that the US "undertakes to make fully available frozen or restricted funds" once the MoU is signed and that procedures will be agreed upon during negotiations.
From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026
The United States undertakes to issue all necessary permits and licenses on this basis.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
Every night, he reads murder mysteries to them, a ritual he undertakes primarily for his own pleasure.
From Salon ● May 17, 2026
Whatever he undertakes, he commits himself to it fully, absolutely.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
In the video individuals are seen from afar putting their hands into the water while workers undertook cleaning work, but it did not clearly show people damaging the pool or depositing anything into it.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 2026
But the following year he undertook his most ambitious challenge yet: setting a record for climbing the 14 peaks in the shortest amount of time.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
He specialised in using seismological data to identify nuclear tests, and undertook several projects funded by the US government.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
Simón, who undertook a similar odyssey at the same age, never allows this delicate story to succumb to self-indulgence or an inflated sense of its own importance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
Dad was making no visible progress on the Glass Castle, and I knew that the can of yellow paint would sit on the porch unless I undertook the job myself.
From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls
Knox gave tours of the renovations the school has undertaken, and the event also highlighted the soon-to-be football stadium and new basketball gym.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 9, 2026
The campaign takes a page from other Rust Belt cities, including Detroit and South Bend, that have undertaken big blight elimination crusades, with varying degrees of success.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
"Considering that arginine is inexpensive and readily available, we hope that therapeutic and preventative studies could be undertaken soon."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 3, 2026
Multiple noise mitigation efforts were undertaken — sound walls, scream shields and even pea gravel in the coaster’s tracks.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
The analysis of the remains, conducted by researchers from Cardiff University, the Mary Rose Trust, and the British Geological Survey, were among the most extensive ever undertaken.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
The Takaichi administration is undertaking a major update of the national defence strategy this year in the face of China's expanding military ambitions.
From Barron's ● Aug. 9, 2026
Meta is undertaking its own chip program, while Amazon, Google and Microsoft all house their own custom AI chip operations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
Still, their top-secret, multiday bash on Cumberland Island, Ga., was a sizable undertaking.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
He commended his officials for undertaking work "in the face of significant physical and mental challenge".
From BBC ● Jul. 30, 2026
No one should be afraid to increase his property for fear that it will be taken away from him, while no one should shrink from undertaking any business through fear of taxes.
From "The Prince" by Niccolò Machiavelli
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.
