- present participle of commence.
commencing
Americannoun
adjective
Etymology
Origin of commencing
First recorded in 1580–90; commenc(e) ( def. ) + -ing 1 ( def. ) for the noun; commenc(e) ( def. ) + -ing 2 ( def. ) for the adjective
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.
Meanwhile, people close to the talks say there has been no substantive progress made yet by the U.S. and Iranian teams on a final nuclear agreement, with technical talks on the issue barely commencing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
Reports indicate SpaceX is targeting a June listing with trading commencing shortly after.
From Barron's ● May 20, 2026
The Office of the Data Protection Commissioner in Kenya also announced it was commencing an investigation into privacy concerns raised by the glasses.
From BBC ● Apr. 30, 2026
All matches will be played around the weekend commencing Saturday, 10 January 2026.
From BBC ● Dec. 8, 2025
From a geographer’s point of view, it is a splendid anomaly, commencing with its extreme aridity.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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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.