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beginning

American  
[bih-gin-ing] / bɪˈgɪn ɪŋ /

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 British  
/ 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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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 nHow 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.

Etymology

Origin of beginning

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

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.

Stock markets bottom at the beginning and not end of wars is the reassuring message that Fundstrat’s Tom Lee sent to investors in a note coinciding with the first quarter’s final trading session.

From MarketWatch

“The move suggests that bullion is beginning to rebuild momentum, although gains remain measured and still closely tied to currency and oil dynamics,” analysts at Sucden Financial said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Next on Bellamy's to-do list is preparation for the Nations League, with Wales beginning their top-flight campaign in September, before Euro 2028 qualifying next year.

From BBC

From the beginning, we came up with every step together, we cast it together, we did all of that together.”

From Los Angeles Times

Then in the week beginning March 16 it bought $77 million worth of Bitcoin.

From Barron's