to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of some action; commence; start.
The story begins with their marriage.
to come into existence; arise; originate.
The custom began during the Civil War.
to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of (some action).
Begin the job tomorrow.
to originate; be the originator of.
civic leaders who began the reform movement.
to succeed to the slightest extent in (followed by an infinitive).
The money won't even begin to cover expenses.
to start or cause to start (something or to do something)
to bring or come into being for the first time; arise or originate
to start to say or speak
(used with a negative) to have the least capacity (to do something)
he couldn't begin to compete with her
in the first place
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.
First recorded before 1000; Middle English beginnen, Old English beginnan, equivalent to be- be- + -ginnan “to begin,” perhaps originally “to open,” akin to yawn
To begin is to start. When it begins to snow, every flake looks pretty, drifting gently down from the dark sky. When you begin something, you go ahead with its first part or stage — you can begin the day with a good attitude, or begin a very long book over and over again, always falling asleep before you get to chapter two. You also might begin a journey by lacing up your hiking boots. Things also begin when they have a specific element as a first part, as when a word begins with the letter T.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
After 10 songs from the trio, who play live as lyrics to the songs are projected on a screen, Allen arrives on stage to begin West End Girl.
From BBC • Jun. 30, 2026
A news release from the California Department of Food and Agriculture did not say when the fly release would begin or end.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 30, 2026
"I just hope that the politicians will understand the situation and will begin to set a course in the right direction," she said.
From Barron's • Jun. 29, 2026
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory, currently being built in Chile, is expected to begin a decade long survey of the sky in the near future.
From Science Daily • Jun. 29, 2026
Duane remained silent until the scolding part of the conversation was over and the problem-solving part could begin.
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
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.
