- present participle of begin.
beginning
Americannoun
-
an act or circumstance of entering upon an action or state.
the beginning of hostilities.
- Synonyms:
- inception, inauguration, initiation
- Antonyms:
- ending
-
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
-
the first part.
the beginning of the book; the beginning of the month.
-
Often beginnings. the initial stage or part of anything.
the beginnings of science.
-
origin; source; first cause.
A misunderstanding about the rent was the beginning of their quarrel.
adjective
-
just formed.
a beginning company.
-
first; opening.
the beginning chapters of a book.
-
basic or introductory.
beginning Spanish.
-
learning the fundamentals.
a beginning swimmer.
noun
-
a start; commencement
-
(often plural) a first or early part or stage
-
the place where or time when something starts
-
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:
France has registered nearly 11,000 fires since the beginning of the year, with President Emmanuel Macron saying last week that there had not been so many blazes in the country since World War Two.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
Participants also did not receive MRI scans at the beginning of the study.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026
Last week, during the company’s earnings call, Netflix co-Chief Executive Ted Sarandos said its work with InterPositive is only beginning.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
So even if talks continue, these latest tariffs could be just the beginning.
From Slate ● Jul. 21, 2026
“I’m in the beginning town. I started the main quest, but now I’m not sure what to do.”
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
Concessionaires have been in Yosemite since its beginnings, as the federal government didn’t have the money to construct its own amenities in the 1850s, he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
These conversations help us see the depth in one another and stir the beginnings of trust our culture needs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 2, 2026
Beyond LAX, the 1984 Olympics were also a “motivating force” to build the beginnings of L.A.’s modern rail system.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 24, 2026
Despite those similar beginnings, queens grow larger, develop more quickly, and can live much longer than workers.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 23, 2026
Normally, she would have been involved in these preparations, but they happened to coincide with her two-day writing bout and the beginnings of the front-of-house construction.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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.
