commence
Americanverb (used with or without object)
-
commences,
present (3rd person singular)
-
commenced,
past participle, past
-
commencing
present participle
verb
Synonym Usage
See begin.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
commencesimple
-
commencessimple
-
have commencedperfect
-
has commencedperfect
-
am commencingprogressive
-
are commencingprogressive
-
is commencingprogressive
-
have been commencingperfect progressive
-
has been commencingperfect progressive
Past
-
commencedsimple
-
had commencedperfect
-
was commencingprogressive
-
were commencingprogressive
-
had been commencingperfect progressive
Future
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
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Essential English Vocabulary, List 1
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List 8
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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:
It’s the kind of moment where everyone in the room knows what’s next and everyone is eagerly awaiting for the action to commence.
From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026
Shell expects commercial operations at the new facilities to commence in the early 2030s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 29, 2026
Portadown District said it had confirmed their readiness to commence the mediation process as a matter of urgency without any preconditions.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Oroco hopes that its Mexican asset, which contains around a billion tons of copper ore and is forecast to have an operational life of twenty years, will commence production in 2032.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
I’d been working hard to fight it, but I didn’t have no choice but to commence crying right along with Emma and n’em.
From "Elijah of Buxton" by Christopher Paul Curtis
July 6: Boeing commences production on the "North Line" in Everett, Washington, part of a strategy to increase output of the 737 MAX.
From Barron's ● Aug. 3, 2026
The expansion adds 900,000 tons of brown paper production, which starts in 1Q, and 1.5 million tons of white paper production, which commences in 2H, the analysts say.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 30, 2026
District Judge Tanya Chutkan, has to decide before the actual trial commences what evidence proffered by the DOJ will be admissible.
From Salon ● Oct. 19, 2024
Two minutes after easing onto the 405 Freeway, the freak-out that began this story and revealed that Segel is driving alongside us commences.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 16, 2024
As Ms. Wyman commences to speak, she forms her mouth into the perfect imitation of a smile.
From "The Misfits" by James Howe
"Queen's University has commenced a review around any existing or proposed collaborations involving CGTRI," they said.
From BBC ● Oct. 4, 2026
Poland also announced "aviation operations" had commenced following the Russian attack.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
“The solution is not to allow Petitioners to illegally complete the entire ballroom just because they illegally commenced it,” lawyers for the trust wrote.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
Mr. Trump was talking to Tucker Carlson by phone in the weeks before the Iran war commenced.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Once we were settled, facing resolutely away from our host and his fatal visage, he commenced rowing.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume II: The Kingdom on the Waves" by M.T. Anderson
To avoid clashes with the opening rounds of the Champions League and Europa League, matches will be played across the weeks commencing Monday, 7 and Monday, 14 September.
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
"The child safeguard practice review is commencing, led by the local safeguarding partnership with the national child safeguarding practice review, working closely to make sure it is of the highest quality."
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
Reports indicate SpaceX is targeting a June listing with trading commencing shortly after.
From Barron's ● May 20, 2026
The U.K. plans to launch a new July 2036 gilt via syndication on the week commencing April 13.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
“Mister Devine,” the governor said, abruptly rising from the stool and commencing to pace deliberately up and down the center of the room.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
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.
