begin

¹ American  

[bih-gin] / bɪˈgɪn /

verb (used without object)

began, begun, beginning

1. to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of some action; commence; start.

   The story begins with their marriage.

   Antonyms:

   end

2. to come into existence; arise; originate.

   The custom began during the Civil War.

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verb (used with object)

began, begun, beginning

1. to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of (some action).

   Begin the job tomorrow.

2. to originate; be the originator of.

   civic leaders who began the reform movement.

   Synonyms:

   initiate, inaugurate, institute

3. to succeed to the slightest extent in (followed by an infinitive).

   The money won't even begin to cover expenses.

Begin ² American  

[bey-gin] / ˈbeɪ gɪn /

noun

1. Menachem 1913–92, Israeli political leader, born in Poland: prime minister 1977–83; Nobel Peace Prize 1978.

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begin ¹ British  

/ bɪˈɡɪn /

verb

1. to start or cause to start (something or to do something)

2. to bring or come into being for the first time; arise or originate

3. to start to say or speak

4. (used with a negative) to have the least capacity (to do something)

   he couldn't begin to compete with her

5. in the first place

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Begin ² British  

/ ˈbɛɡɪn /

noun

1. Menachem (məˈnɑːkɪm). 1913–92, Israeli statesman, born in Poland. In Palestine after 1942, he became a leader of the militant Zionists; prime minister of Israel (1977–83); Nobel peace prize jointly with Sadat 1978. In 1979 he concluded the Camp David treaty with Anwar Sadat of Egypt

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begin Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing begin

• (begin to) see the light
• charity begins at home
• to start (begin) with

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Related Words

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.

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

Example Sentences

Wiegman "wants to continue" with a squad of 23 rather than 25 players as the Lionesses begin preparations for the 2027 World Cup, having experimented a little in last year's friendlies.

From BBC

It's believed to be the first time a person has been attacked by a wolf since the animals began to reestablish themselves in Germany decades ago.

From BBC

Hegseth’s reported interest in buying a defense fund highlights just how poorly contractors have traded since the war began.

From MarketWatch

Then, as the OpenClaw craze began to sweep Silicon Valley, and beyond, the idea popped into his head that he could build an “AI version of an engineer.”

From The Wall Street Journal

At the same time, concerns that gnawed at investors before the beginning of the war haven’t disappeared, either.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• commence
• create
• do
• establish
• found
• go ahead
• go into
• inaugurate
• initiate
• introduce
• launch
• lead
• make
• open
• prepare
• produce
• set up
• start
• undertake