beginning

[bih-gin-ing]

noun

1. an act or circumstance of entering upon an action or state.

   the beginning of hostilities.

   Synonyms: inception, inauguration, initiation
   Antonyms: ending

2. 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

3. the first part.

   the beginning of the book; the beginning of the month.

4. Often beginnings. the initial stage or part of anything.

   the beginnings of science.

5. origin; source; first cause.

   A misunderstanding about the rent was the beginning of their quarrel.

adjective

1. just formed.

   a beginning company.

2. first; opening.

   the beginning chapters of a book.

3. basic or introductory.

   beginning Spanish.

4. learning the fundamentals.

   a beginning swimmer.

beginning

/ bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ /

noun

1. a start; commencement

2. (often plural) a first or early part or stage

3. the place where or time when something starts

4. an origin; source

Word History and Origins

Origin of beginning¹

First recorded in 1175–1225, beginning is from the Middle English word beginnung, begonning. See begin, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

By holding three-quarters of Gaza and closing in on Hamas’s capital beginning in August, Israel pressured the terrorists into agreeing to terms they had long resisted for a partial hostage deal.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

"I'm doing my first album from beginning to end and then I'm going to do my new album."

Read more on BBC

This is his first international job, starting it at the beginning of 2025.

Read more on BBC

“The following examples apply if you earned the taxable maximum in each year beginning at age 22 and start receiving benefits in 2025,” it adds.

Read more on MarketWatch

Amassing retirement savings has been hard for Gen Xers, who launched their careers just as a shift in American work culture was beginning.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• birth 
• creation 
• dawn 
• inauguration 
• inception 
• introduction 
• onset 
• opening 
• outset 
• starting point www.thesaurus.com
• top 

When To Use

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.