Showing results for "beginning"

• present participle of begin.

beginning

American  

[bih-gin-ing] / bɪˈgɪn ɪŋ /

noun

• beginnings
  plural

1. an act or circumstance of entering upon an action or state.

   the beginning of hostilities.

   Synonyms:

   inception, inauguration, initiation

   Antonyms:

   ending

2. the point of time or space at which anything begins.

   the beginning of the Christian era; the beginning of the route.

   Synonyms:

   emergence, onset, outset, commencement, start

   Antonyms:

   end

3. the first part.

   the beginning of the book; the beginning of the month.

4. Often beginnings. the initial stage or part of anything.

   the beginnings of science.

5. origin; source; first cause.

   A misunderstanding about the rent was the beginning of their quarrel.

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adjective

1. just formed.

   a beginning company.

2. first; opening.

   the beginning chapters of a book.

3. basic or introductory.

   beginning Spanish.

4. learning the fundamentals.

   a beginning swimmer.

beginning British  

/ bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ /

noun

1. a start; commencement

2. (often plural) a first or early part or stage

3. the place where or time when something starts

4. an origin; source

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Usage

Spelling tips for beginning The word beginning is hard to spell for two reasons. It doesn't simply combine the base word (begin) with the suffix -ing, as is done in other easy-to-remember words that end in -ing, like starting and talking. Also, it can be tempting to use a double g (beggining) instead of a double n. How to spell beginning: To spell beginning, you take the base word begin and add an n at the end. Then, add the suffix -ing. Why do you need an extra n? Because you should begin right Now.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• beginnings
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of beginning

First recorded in 1175–1225, beginning is from the Middle English word beginnung, begonning. See begin, -ing ¹

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Explanation

The beginning is the first part or section of something, or the place where it starts. You watch the opening credits at the beginning of a movie. "In the beginning," says the beginning of the Bible, "God created the heavens and the earth." Beginning can mean the act of starting something (the day after Thanksgiving is the beginning of the Christmas shopping season), or it can mean the time when something will start (Beginning at noon, all Christmas ornaments will go on sale.) Beginning can also refer to the origin of something, its root or source, as the beginning of the Mississippi River is Lake Itasca, Minnesota.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

beginning beginnings

“I was losing childhood’s innocent credulity,” he writes, “and beginning to realize that adults had weaknesses too.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

"At the beginning of this escalation, we asked them to meet in Muscat, Oman and they refused," he added.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

Participants underwent physical assessments over 47 years, beginning at age 16 and continuing through age 63.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 15, 2026

California Science Center members will receive early access to reservations beginning Monday at the same time.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026

Belle stomps, passing cottonwood trees, their brittle branches beginning to seed.

From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Those bubbles could expand away from one another while new regions undergo their own Big Bang-like beginnings.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 28, 2026

That display, like the best at Independent 20th Century, offers discoveries that shouldn’t end with the fair, but serve as new beginnings for overlooked and forgotten artists.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

The appointments come against the backdrop of Wales' failure to reach the World Cup and the beginnings of criticism around the side's openness.

From BBC ● Sep. 21, 2026

Every year on Mexican Independence Day, the paper celebrates its humble beginnings when Lozano Sr. launched the paper from a modest office in downtown Los Angeles.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

He felt the beginnings of doubt begin to creep in.

From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon

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Related Words

• birth
• creation
• dawn
• inauguration
• inception
• introduction
• onset
• opening
• outset
• starting point
• top

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