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

It would be a beginning of rupture of the age-old pact between the world’s most cosmopolitan city and the people of the Book.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

And as an artist, she’s glad that, even as a 16-year-old just beginning her career, she never gave in to the pressure to cheer up her tracks.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

More than 100 scientists from over 20 countries contributed to the report, which was released ahead of the 30th World Climate Conference beginning November 10, 2025, in Belém, Brazil.

Read more on Science Daily

U.S. natural gas futures posted their first weekly gain in a month thanks to a cooler shift in the weather outlook for the end of October and beginning of November which sparked a short-covering rally.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

At the time of this sit-down, Seehorn is days away from beginning production in Texas on a film adaptation of the book that will also star Taylor Kitsch and Diego Luna.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

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.