begin
verb (used without object)
to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of some action; commence; start.
begin
1 American
[bih-gin]
/ bɪˈgɪn /
verb (used without object)
-
begins,
present (3rd person singular)
-
began,
past
-
begun,
past participle
-
beginning
present participle
-
to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of some action; commence; start.
The story begins with their marriage.
- Antonyms:
- end
-
to come into existence; arise; originate.
The custom began during the Civil War.
verb (used with object)
-
begins,
present (3rd person singular)
-
began,
past
-
begun,
past participle
-
beginning
present participle
-
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.
- Synonyms:
- initiate, inaugurate, institute
-
to succeed to the slightest extent in (followed by an infinitive).
The money won't even begin to cover expenses.
Begin
2
American
[bay-gin]
/ ˈbeɪ gɪn /
noun
begin
1
British
/ bɪˈɡɪn /
verb
-
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
2
British
/ ˈbɛɡɪn /
noun
begin
Idioms
Synonym Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
beginsimple
-
beginssimple
-
have begunperfect
-
has begunperfect
-
am beginningprogressive
-
are beginningprogressive
-
is beginningprogressive
-
have been beginningperfect progressive
-
has been beginningperfect progressive
Past
-
begansimple
-
had begunperfect
-
was beginningprogressive
-
were beginningprogressive
-
had been beginningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of begin
First recorded before 1000; Middle English beginnen, Old English beginnan, equivalent to be- be- + -ginnan “to begin,” perhaps originally “to open,” akin to yawn
Explanation
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.
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:
"Our outstanding elite women's wheelchair field will begin the action just ahead of them, creating a true celebration of women's marathon racing," Brasher added.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
She wonders when her own chapter will begin.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Klobuchar: I’m going to begin my questions now, but I think people should have their facts straight before they accuse someone of being a “dirtbag” and not get the teams wrong.
From Slate ● Sep. 29, 2026
Comments begin about Simmons, a guard on a one-year, non-guaranteed contract after missing last season with injuries.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
“Boozhoo,” I begin, my shaky voice ringing out.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Begin in the same starting position as exercise No. 3.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
By rapidly distributing footage of troops entering the fortress, the military echoed a famous 1982 image showing then-defence minister Ariel Sharon and prime minister Menahem Begin at the same spot.
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
Appeared in the April 10, 2026, print edition as 'Israel To Begin Direct Talks With Lebanon'.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
Begin with a modest roux — butter and flour, cooked together until they smell faintly nutty.
From Salon ● Apr. 7, 2026
When I was close enough to see the statue s face clearly, I yelled, “Hello, Hermes! Command sequence: Daedalus Twenty-three. Kill Flying Pigs! Begin Activation!”
From "The Last Olympian" by Rick Riordan
The Supreme Court begins its new term on Monday, and a few weeks later Clarence Thomas will complete his 35th year on the bench.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Instead, the market begins rewarding stable profit margins, free cash flow, operating efficiency and raised earnings forecasts, Wilson explained.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
The video begins with Johnson at a grave site.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 28, 2026
Scientists analyzed blood samples from 52 astronauts who spent months aboard the International Space Station and found signs that the digestive system begins changing relatively soon after astronauts leave Earth.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 28, 2026
Teeth finishes eating his pile and begins grooming his whiskers, then his fur.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
Following his disappearance, a number of theories about what had happened to him began to circulate on social media.
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
Artisanal prospectors began mining gold illegally on a large scale in Ivory Coast in the 2000s, at a time when violent political crises weakened the state.
From Barron's ● Sep. 30, 2026
Ironically for such a consequential theater, when the war began, in 1914, the central powers saw it as peripheral.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Bankers on Tuesday began officially marketing a big financing package to investors to help Paramount Skydance Corp.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 29, 2026
The knight and the gentleman began a lively conversation.
From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios
Some students insisted the demonstrations had begun peacefully and blamed outsiders for at least some of the violence.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
Having begun to raise rates, the central bank has left investors guessing how far and how fast it will go, adding to uncertainty that is pushing up long-term rates.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
Biles has also filled the home with more personal touches, particularly inside her private office, where she has begun displaying mementos from her decorated gymnastics career.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 28, 2026
The demolition has begun at Bengaluru's Urvashi Cinema, once a 1,200-seat movie palace where generations of filmgoers cheered and whistled, another casualty of India's vanishing single-screen era.
From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026
In 1799, New York had begun the gradual process of abolishing slavery.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
More calamitous defending in the beginning, another self-inflicted wound that was a complete game-changer, another day without a goal - four in a row now.
From BBC ● Sep. 29, 2026
At the beginning, riders are taken up a slope while facing backward and, at the peak, their seats spin forward as they hurtle toward the ground headfirst.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2026
Tang said innovation investment had remained resilient this year and was even "beginning to see growth again".
From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026
So is April, which in 2011 was the start of a 19% drop that ended at the beginning of October.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
It was beginning to stretch, as rawhide does when it gets wet.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
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.
