to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of some action; commence; start.
The story begins with their marriage.
to come into existence; arise; originate.
The custom began during the Civil War.
to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of (some action).
Begin the job tomorrow.
to originate; be the originator of.
civic leaders who began the reform movement.
to succeed to the slightest extent in (followed by an infinitive).
The money won't even begin to cover expenses.
to start or cause to start (something or to do something)
to bring or come into being for the first time; arise or originate
to start to say or speak
(used with a negative) to have the least capacity (to do something)
he couldn't begin to compete with her
in the first place
Begin, commence, initiate, start (when followed by noun or gerund) refer to setting into motion or progress something that continues for some time. Begin is the common term: to begin knitting a sweater. Commence is a more formal word, often suggesting a more prolonged or elaborate beginning: to commence proceedings in court. Initiate implies an active and often ingenious first act in a new field: to initiate a new procedure. Start means to make a first move or to set out on a course of action: to start paving a street.
First recorded before 1000; Middle English beginnen, Old English beginnan, equivalent to be- be- + -ginnan “to begin,” perhaps originally “to open,” akin to yawn
To begin is to start. When it begins to snow, every flake looks pretty, drifting gently down from the dark sky. When you begin something, you go ahead with its first part or stage — you can begin the day with a good attitude, or begin a very long book over and over again, always falling asleep before you get to chapter two. You also might begin a journey by lacing up your hiking boots. Things also begin when they have a specific element as a first part, as when a word begins with the letter T.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Tesla aims to begin industrial production of its own humanoid robot Optimus soon at two US factories.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
This has the potential to begin a new era of personal empowerment, in which individuals have greater freedom to pursue their interests and reach their full potential.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Chelsea begin Alonso reign with 6-4 win in Sydney - who stood out?
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
I’ve been planning to wait until 70 to begin collecting Social Security and retire ime.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
In some strange way that he couldn’t begin to fathom, he recognized the high, wavering sounds.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
By rapidly distributing footage of troops entering the fortress, the military echoed a famous 1982 image showing then-defence minister Ariel Sharon and prime minister Menahem Begin at the same spot.
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
Begin with Magic Johnson and Billie Jean King, part of the group that owns the Dodgers and Sparks.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
Appeared in the April 10, 2026, print edition as 'Israel To Begin Direct Talks With Lebanon'.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
Begin with a modest roux — butter and flour, cooked together until they smell faintly nutty.
From Salon ● Apr. 7, 2026
“Thank you, sir, that’s very good of you. Begin with a salt-free diet for General Peckem and a fat-free diet for General Dreedle.”
From "Catch-22" by Joseph Heller
CBS News is adding several high-profile journalists to “60 Minutes” as new executive producer Nick Bilton begins reshaping the iconic newsmagazine following months of upheaval.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Veteran correspondents Lesley Stahl, Bill Whitaker, Norah O’Donnell and Jon Wertheim are also returning to the program, which begins its 58th season on Sept. 13.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Zidane's four-year deal begins next month, and his full coaching team will be announced a few weeks later.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Then El Niño begins affecting food supplies and electricity markets.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
Mother steps out of the den, lopes to me, and begins grooming my fur.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
Saudi Arabia began relying more on its Red Sea route after the Strait of Hormuz closed amid the war in Iran.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
The observances began with a solemn ceremony attended by congressional colleagues and JD Vance in the Capitol Rotunda.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
This was just the warm-up before the main event an hour later when the floor competition began.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
It began on April 3, 2012, an ordinary morning for Ken Jouppi, who had spent decades flying people, mail, and groceries across the Alaskan interior.
From Slate ● Jul. 28, 2026
And around us conversation began again, a hum of party talk rising and falling.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Military officials in recent months have begun field testing the GM version, which is built off the heavy-duty version of the automaker’s Silverado pickup.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 27, 2026
That said, the Information reported on Monday that China has begun making its own deep-ultraviolet lithography machines, potentially hinting that domestic chip makers in the country could become more competitive.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 27, 2026
The 24-year-old is on holiday after playing for England at the World Cup, while Chelsea have begun their pre-season tour in Sydney.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
At that time, conditions were much the same as they are now: El Nino aggravated a heat wave that had begun in 2014.
From Barron's ● Jul. 27, 2026
The rhythmic stamping had already begun in the Lagerstrasse.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
"We may have a new chairman, but the old guard is now worried about where the economy has moved since the beginning of the year."
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
At the beginning of this year, we wrapped him in diapers, since he no longer knew how to get outside.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
"It did result in a lot of tears and a lot of self-doubt at the beginning and I think that's completely normal and it's part of the process."
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Agriculture Department will allow cattle imports from Mexico for the first time in more than a year beginning in late August, even as New World screwworm remains a threat to domestic livestock.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
If I cannot do it, who can?—I have been the beginning of it.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
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.
