undertake
Americanverb (used with object)
-
undertakes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
undertook,
past
-
undertaken,
past participle
-
undertaking
present participle
-
to take upon oneself, as a task, performance, etc.; attempt.
She undertook the job of answering all the mail.
-
to promise, agree, or obligate oneself (followed by an infinitive).
The married couple undertook to love, honor, and cherish each other.
-
to warrant or guarantee (followed by a clause).
The sponsors undertake that their candidate meets all the requirements.
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to take in charge; assume the duty of attending to.
The lawyer undertook a new case.
verb (used without object)
-
undertakes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
undertook,
past
-
undertaken,
past participle
-
undertaking
present participle
verb
-
(tr) to contract to or commit oneself to (something) or (to do something)
to undertake a job
to undertake to deliver the goods
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(tr) to attempt to; agree to start
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(tr) to take (someone) in charge
-
archaic to make oneself responsible (for)
-
(tr) to promise
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
undertakesimple
-
undertakessimple
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have undertakenperfect
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has undertakenperfect
-
am undertakingprogressive
-
are undertakingprogressive
-
is undertakingprogressive
-
have been undertakingperfect progressive
-
has been undertakingperfect progressive
Past
-
undertooksimple
-
had undertakenperfect
-
was undertakingprogressive
-
were undertakingprogressive
-
had been undertakingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of undertake
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English undertaken; see under-, take
Explanation
When you undertake a task or challenge, you attempt to accomplish it. If you want to undertake a verbal challenge right now, try saying “sushi chef” ten times quickly without messing up. Way back in the 13th century, undertake meant “seize” or “entrap.” Of course, the meaning has shifted significantly since then, and we hope you don’t feel entrapped when you decide to undertake a project. However, undertake does convey a level of commitment and involvement that’s somewhat stronger than the words try or attempt might suggest.
Vocabulary lists containing undertake
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Franklin D. Roosevelt, "A Date That Will Live In Infamy" (1941)
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The Mayflower Compact (1620)
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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:
But last month, it agreed with local authorities to expand the facility’s footprint by 40%, or nearly 50 acres, for a new training center and to undertake other upgrades that will expand capacity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 25, 2026
"Poverty, insecurity and the growing impacts of climate change drive many to undertake this journey, despite mounting instability across the Middle East," the IOM said.
From Barron's ● Oct. 11, 2026
"However, this may not be obvious through our existing systems and so researchers are also advised to undertake appropriate due diligence to identify the ultimate source of funding for collaborations with Chinese institutions."
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
Modern European and American eels undertake extraordinary migrations, traveling thousands of kilometers from freshwater rivers to reproduce in the Sargasso Sea.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026
Hours before Seabiscuit was to undertake his public workout, Howard and Smith retreated to the cottage by the barn.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
Unitree’s humanoid robots can walk, run and climb and “can imitate & reinforce the learning drive” said the company, referring to algorithms that train the robot’s artificial intelligence as it undertakes tasks.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
Point 11 of the MoU detailed that the "United States of America undertakes to make fully available for use the frozen or restricted funds and assets of the Islamic Republic of Iran".
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
In the memorandum of understanding, the United States undertakes to "terminate all types of sanctions against" Iran, and to "make fully available for use the frozen or restricted funds and assets" of Iran.
From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026
The United States also undertakes to withdraw its forces from the surrounding areas within 30 days after the final agreement.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
“I can answer for every thing of that nature, sir, because it will be under Mrs. Weston’s care. Mrs. Weston undertakes to direct the whole.”
From "Emma" by Jane Austen
Most of the spending the Biden administration undertook was related to COVID, including financial assistance for households affected by the pandemic, which I don’t recall provoked much backlash.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
Boeing, which expects to commence 737 MAX 10 deliveries in 2027, said it undertook more than 2,000 hours of flight testing and supplied tens of thousands of pages of documentation.
From Barron's ● Oct. 20, 2026
The researchers undertook a CT scan of the fossil, creating a 3D model of this part of the skull.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
Concern stems from recent reports that Anthropic blocked use of AI tools to develop bioweapons and that swarms of AI bots autonomously undertook massive hacking operations.
From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026
An industrial firm recently undertook to find out just how few.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Some responses to the wreckage can be undertaken through new leadership.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
This sentence could refer to any number of actions undertaken by the department in recent months.
From Slate ● Nov. 3, 2026
The first 20 minutes of his speech largely on the renovation project undertaken by his administration.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
His campaign attracted many PRI dissidents who opposed the free-market economic reforms undertaken by then-President Miguel de la Madrid.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
A good many people now have misgivings about the aerial distribution of lethal chemicals over millions of acres, and two mass-spraying campaigns undertaken in the late 1950’s have done much to increase these doubts.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
A colossus in shipbuilding, China is undertaking one of the largest peacetime naval buildups in modern history.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2026
"This is going to be really difficult for me personally, 100%," acknowledged Evans, who is undertaking his second challenge for the BBC charity fundraiser, following his 24-hour drumathon challenge back in 2021.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
Evans also has a biotech start-up, Haemanthus, which is developing laser-based technology to analyze biological samples, an undertaking with echoes of Holmes’ failed blood-testing company.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026
The commenter had spent considerable time walking delivery workers through specialty aisles and negotiating alternatives, an especially frustrating undertaking when dietary restrictions were involved.
From Salon ● Oct. 25, 2026
They warned him that an armed struggle was an extremely grave undertaking and they questioned whether the liberation movement had matured sufficiently to justify such an endeavor.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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