commence
Americanverb (used with or without object)
verb
Related Words
See begin.
Other Word Forms
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”; see initiate
Explanation
Commence is a fancy way of saying "begin." Your invitation to a formal wedding might note, "The ceremony will commence at noon." If a congressman wants to start a meeting to vote on an important bill, he might say, "This meeting will begin immediately." Or, he could make the same statement in a more formal way by saying, "This meeting will commence immediately." Interestingly enough, while the word commence means to start, a commencement ceremony marks the end of a college career.
Vocabulary lists containing commence
Bud, Not Buddy
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Essential English Vocabulary, List 1
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
List 8
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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 labour union will lawfully commence a general strike tomorrow as scheduled."
From Barron's • May 20, 2026
Both prosecution and defence lawyers told him they are ready for the case to commence.
From BBC • May 19, 2026
That should mean that the hedging call options writers have had to do amid the record breaking run of buying will likely commence after the close of trading.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
He expects to commence work at Chemaf this month and predicts the $250 million to $300 million in upgrades to Chemaf’s operations should be completed by the beginning of next year.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
“Once we find our other Library Olympians,” said Mr. Lemoncello, “we’ll fly them here to Alexandriaville and commence our duodecimalthon.”
From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein
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.
