undertake
Americanverb (used with object)
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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
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archaic to make oneself responsible (for)
-
(tr) to promise
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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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
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is undertakingprogressive
-
have been undertakingperfect progressive
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has been undertakingperfect progressive
Past
-
undertooksimple
-
had undertakenperfect
-
was undertakingprogressive
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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:
“When people have access to medical care through insurance, they tend to undertake activities that can help longevity, like better preventive care, better management of chronic and disabling conditions,” Cohen said.
From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2026
They also cautioned against people being "encouraged or supported commercially" to undertake the trail.
From BBC ● Aug. 8, 2026
The 84-year-old Kentucky lawmaker said in a statement Thursday that he would undertake an “intensive regimen of physical therapy” from home.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 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
“Let us begin, then. Let us commence. Let us undertake to establish what it is that you hope to achieve or acquire, what it is that I may provide to you for this yet-to-be-determined price.”
From "Son" by Lois Lowry
Mr. Skybell, Antigonus having been digested, then effectively undertakes the role of the feisty, wily opportunist Autolycus.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
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
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
At the time of the Observer investigation, publishing house Penguin said it "undertook all the necessary pre-publication due diligence", including a contract with an author warranty about factual accuracy, and a legal read.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
In 2018, for example, the company undertook a major reorganization of senior management based on the principle of division of labor by comparative advantage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
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
That same month, two of the adopted children of Hollywood divorcees Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt undertook an important legal step in the process to drop their father's surname, something they began earlier this year.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
He threw his directional instruments and his maps into a knapsack, and he undertook the reckless adventure.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The application has just seen a site assessment undertaken, according to the States' planning website, external.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
Hassabis’s efforts represent some of the most extensive and concrete steps undertaken by an official representing a leading lab.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
"This change continues the work already undertaken by the contest to strengthen safeguarding and protect younger artists from the pressures associated with competing at the Eurovision Song Contest," they added in the statement.
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
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
Because Tycho was such a superb observer and had built such accurate instruments, this was the most sensitive search for parallax yet undertaken.
From "The Scientists" by John Gribbin
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
But now, as the sun poured through the third-floor atrium of the Bloom Center, Riley couldn’t help but point out the symbolism of such an ambitious undertaking actually coming to life.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 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
The only comparable alternative would involve sending spacecraft directly to another star, an undertaking that would require enormous amounts of time and money.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026
We spent a large part of Christmas Eve day making sure that everyone was well scrubbed—no small undertaking, as it meant heating a huge amount of water.
From "The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate" by Jacqueline Kelly
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.
