begin

¹

[ bih-gin ]

verb (used without object)

, be·gan [bih-, gan], be·gun [bih-, guhn], be·gin·ning [bih-, gin, -ing].

1. to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of some action; commence; start:

   The story begins with their marriage.

   Antonyms: end

2. to come into existence; arise; originate:

   The custom began during the Civil War.

verb (used with object)

, be·gan, be·gun, be·gin·ning.

1. to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of (some action):

   Begin the job tomorrow.

2. to originate; be the originator of:

   civic leaders who began the reform movement.

   Synonyms: initiate, inaugurate, institute

3. to succeed to the slightest extent in (followed by an infinitive):

   The money won't even begin to cover expenses.

Begin

²

[ bey-gin ]

noun

1. Me·na·chem [m, uh, -, nah, -, kh, uh, m], 1913–92, Israeli political leader, born in Poland: prime minister 1977–83; Nobel Peace Prize 1978.

Begin

¹

/ ˈbɛɡɪn /

noun

1. BeginMenachem19131992MIsraeliPolishPOLITICS: statesmanPOLITICS: prime minister Menachem (məˈnɑːkɪm). 1913–92, Israeli statesman, born in Poland. In Palestine after 1942, he became a leader of the militant Zionists; prime minister of Israel (1977–83); Nobel peace prize jointly with Sadat 1978. In 1979 he concluded the Camp David treaty with Anwar Sadat of Egypt

begin

²

/ bɪˈɡɪn /

verb

1. to start or cause to start (something or to do something)
2. to bring or come into being for the first time; arise or originate
3. to start to say or speak
4. used with a negative to have the least capacity (to do something)

   he couldn't begin to compete with her

5. to begin with
   in the first place

Word History and Origins

Origin of begin¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English beginnen, Old English beginnan, equivalent to be- be- + -ginnan “to begin,” perhaps originally “to open,” akin to yawn

Word History and Origins

Origin of begin¹

Old English beginnan ; related to Old High German biginnan , Gothic duginnan

Idioms and Phrases

• charity begins at home
• (begin to) see the light
• to start (begin) with

Synonym Study

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.

Example Sentences

That began to change in 1997, when the International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations recognized the American Mountain Guides Association’s accreditation.

From Outside Online

Then she and a small team wheel it out to their spot in the parking lot, and a long line of cars begins to wind its way toward her — their occupants’ windows rolled down and sleeves rolled up.

From Washington Post

While still a teenager, he began running a regular dice game on the sidewalk at West Roosevelt Road and South Kedzie Avenue, in the heart of Lawndale.

From ProPublica

Reporting for the series on the coronavirus and racial disparities began early in the pandemic.

From ProPublica

The bear, now less than 100 feet away, glanced over at us and began to saunter left, his cadence nauseatingly cool.

From Outside Online

Christie has problems, and they begin with the fact that photos and videos and memes can haunt us.

From The Daily Beast

He could order the Justice Department to begin the necessary regulatory work.

From The Daily Beast

That kind of compassion might go a long way toward helping us begin to respond to a hurting world.

From The Daily Beast

My trip takes the reverse path, and I begin by assessing the depth of my Shakespeare knowledge in his birthplace.

From The Daily Beast

We can also begin to plan our wardrobes to match our new and improved selves.

From The Daily Beast

They are very urgent questions; our sons and daughters will have to begin to deal with them from the moment they leave college.

From Project Gutenberg

If we are to have a real education along lines of expression we must begin with the "content," or cause, of expression.

From Project Gutenberg

Men cannot see the world clearly and they cannot, therefore, begin to think about it rightly.

From Project Gutenberg

Much later, in the case of all but gifted children, do the mysteries of harmony begin to take on definite form and meaning.

From Project Gutenberg

"But it was n't a lie," Punch would begin, charging into a laboured explanation that landed him more hopelessly in the mire.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• commence
• create
• do
• establish
• found
• go ahead
• go into
• inaugurate
• initiate
• introduce
• launch
• lead
• make
• open
• prepare
• produce
• set up
• start
• undertake