inception
Americannoun
-
beginning; start; commencement.
- Synonyms:
- conception, root, source, outset, origin
-
British.
-
the act of graduating or earning a university degree, usually a master's or doctor's degree, especially at Cambridge University.
-
the graduation ceremony; commencement.
-
-
(in science fiction) the act of instilling an idea into someone's mind by entering their dreams.
noun
Etymology
Origin of inception
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English incepcion, from Latin inceptiōn- (stem of inceptiō ), equivalent to incept(us) “begun” ( see incept) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
The inception is the beginning. Since its inception, Wikipedia has been created by its users. Inception sounds like conception, but their meanings are distinct. Conception usually refers to the moment of becoming pregnant. Inception refers more to the beginning, to entering upon an undertaking. Inception implies the start of a specific thing like a campaign or a company. Subsequent events take place after the inception. At the moment of conception, most women are at the inception of motherhood.
Vocabulary lists containing inception
"The Hill We Climb," by Amanda Gorman
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
I'm New Here...
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Mahatma Gandhi's "Quit India" Speech
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
In November, Ermon announced he raised $50 million for a neolab called Inception focused on developing diffusion models to generate text and code.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026
Across Apple and Spotify, Inception Point podcasts have now garnered 400,000 subscribers.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 12, 2025
Inception mentions AI's role in every episode, a disclosure that generates "very little drop-off" among listeners, Wright told AFP.
From Barron's • Oct. 13, 2025
While his films have collected Oscars previously, the man behind movies including Interstellar, Inception and The Dark Knight Rises has never won this prestigious category.
From BBC • Mar. 9, 2024
We come now to Inception, or the degree of Master of Arts.
From The Customs of Old England by Snell, F. J. (Frederick John)
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.
