beginning
Americannoun
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beginnings
plural
-
an act or circumstance of entering upon an action or state.
the beginning of hostilities.
- Synonyms:
- inception, inauguration, initiation
- Antonyms:
- ending
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the point of time or space at which anything begins.
the beginning of the Christian era; the beginning of the route.
- Synonyms:
- emergence, onset, outset, commencement, start
- Antonyms:
- end
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the first part.
the beginning of the book; the beginning of the month.
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Often beginnings. the initial stage or part of anything.
the beginnings of science.
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origin; source; first cause.
A misunderstanding about the rent was the beginning of their quarrel.
adjective
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just formed.
a beginning company.
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first; opening.
the beginning chapters of a book.
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basic or introductory.
beginning Spanish.
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learning the fundamentals.
a beginning swimmer.
noun
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a start; commencement
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(often plural) a first or early part or stage
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the place where or time when something starts
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an origin; source
Usage
Spelling tips for beginning The word beginning is hard to spell for two reasons. It doesn't simply combine the base word (begin) with the suffix -ing, as is done in other easy-to-remember words that end in -ing, like starting and talking. Also, it can be tempting to use a double g (beggining) instead of a double n. How to spell beginning: To spell beginning, you take the base word begin and add an n at the end. Then, add the suffix -ing. Why do you need an extra n? Because you should begin right Now.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of beginning
First recorded in 1175–1225, beginning is from the Middle English word beginnung, begonning. See begin, -ing 1
Explanation
The beginning is the first part or section of something, or the place where it starts. You watch the opening credits at the beginning of a movie. "In the beginning," says the beginning of the Bible, "God created the heavens and the earth." Beginning can mean the act of starting something (the day after Thanksgiving is the beginning of the Christmas shopping season), or it can mean the time when something will start (Beginning at noon, all Christmas ornaments will go on sale.) Beginning can also refer to the origin of something, its root or source, as the beginning of the Mississippi River is Lake Itasca, Minnesota.
Vocabulary lists containing beginning
Commonly Misspelled Words, List 3
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Common Core Grade 6, List 3
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Common Core Grade 5, List 3
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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.
See Examples For:
Warren Buffett, the investing legend that turned Berkshire Hathaway into an massive conglomerate, on Friday stepped aside as chairman after leaving as CEO at the beginning of the year.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 18, 2026
The beginning is exhilarating, the character studies slow things down, the conclusion is electric.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Palisades, which drops to 1-4, has a bye next week before beginning Western League play Oct.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
"So no, I don't think we are psychologically prepared… but I do think that we are beginning to recognise that war is something that is closer to us than we'd like to think".
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
We knew that Willem had found hiding places at the beginning of the occupation for the German Jews who had been living in his house.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
From humble beginnings as a small village boy from Punjab, he made history in 2023 by becoming the first Punjabi-language singer to perform at the US music festival Coachella.
From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026
Transformations often are viewed as projects with beginnings and endings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
That would place the beginnings of planet formation remarkably close to the dawn of the Universe, even before the first galaxies had fully emerged.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 31, 2026
“But profound beginnings can happen. You see that for Langdon. In Season 1 he is very ego-forward. But he has gone away and realized, ‘I am probably the worst.’
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
She would die here, in freedom, beneath the beginnings of dawn.
From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo
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.
