commencement
Americannoun
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an act or instance of commencing; beginning.
the commencement of hostilities.
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the ceremony of conferring degrees or granting diplomas at the end of the academic year.
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the day on which this ceremony takes place.
noun
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the beginning; start
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a ceremony for the presentation of awards at secondary schools
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a ceremony for the conferment of academic degrees
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Other Word Forms
- noncommencement noun
- recommencement noun
Etymology
Origin of commencement
First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French; equivalent to commence + -ment
Explanation
A commencement is the act of starting out, or blazing a new trail. The suffix -ment makes the word commencement a noun — a thing, an activity, a start. The word can be used for the beginning of anything, from a business meeting to a vacation trip to a marriage. Anything that begins has a moment of commencement. That's why a graduation ceremony is called a commencement — a graduate is embarking on a new life, and the commencement ritual marks the official beginning of that life.
Vocabulary lists containing commencement
The Vocabulary of College
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A Graduation Lexicon
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Steve Jobs's Commencement Address (2005)
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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.
“I think that the market is actually correctly looking through the commencement of the war,” said Chris Grisanti, chief market strategist and a portfolio manager at MAI Capital Management.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 2, 2026
He added that "lots of stuff has to be done this year in order to enable the actual commencement of building".
From BBC • Feb. 13, 2026
He said the site's existing planning permission had been awarded a lawful commencement notice over a decade ago, so it remained valid.
From BBC • Jan. 20, 2026
Millennials were told to follow their passion in commencement speeches by Oprah Winfrey, Steve Jobs and Jim Carrey; anything less would be considered a disappointment.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 2, 2025
In mid-June 2011, the cast members of Good Boys and True receive their high school diplomas at the traditional commencement on the football field.
From "Drama High" by Michael Sokolove
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.
