Synonyms

commence

American

[kuh-mens] / kəˈmɛns /

verb (used with or without object)

commenced, commencing

to begin; start.

Synonyms:

originate, initiate, inaugurate

commence British

/ kəˈmɛns /

verb

to start or begin; come or cause to come into being, operation, etc

"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

Related Words

See begin.

Other Word Forms

commenceable adjective
commencer noun
recommence verb

Etymology

Origin of commence

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English commencen, from Anglo-French, Middle French comencer, from unrecorded Vulgar Latin cominitiāre, equivalent to Latin com- com- + initiāre “to begin”; initiate

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.

The tour is still on and will commence Tuesday from Miami.

From Los Angeles Times

Movie producers, directors and studio executives are about to commence their annual lightning bottling ceremony — Tinseltown’s version of Groundhog Day.

From Salon

Buying them now makes sense in the face of some tailwinds that could commence soon.

From Barron's

In a statement, NI Water said they had a pay offer ready and were encouraging Nipsa to "submit a pay claim for all non front-line employees to enable pay negotiations to commence without delay".

From BBC

Earlier this week, an Essex Police spokeswoman said: "Any prosecution for such an offence must commence within one year."

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023