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commencement

[ kuh-mens-muhnt ]
/ kÉ™Ėˆmɛns mənt /
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noun
an act or instance of commencing; beginning: the commencement of hostilities.
the ceremony of conferring degrees or granting diplomas at the end of the academic year.
the day on which this ceremony takes place.
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Origin of commencement

1225–75; Middle English <Anglo-French, Old French. See commence, -ment

OTHER WORDS FROM commencement

nonĀ·comĀ·menceĀ·ment, nounreĀ·comĀ·menceĀ·ment, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Ā© Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use commencement in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for commencement

commencement
/ (kÉ™Ėˆmɛnsmənt) /

noun
the beginning; start
  1. US and Canadian a ceremony for the presentation of awards at secondary schools
  2. US a ceremony for the conferment of academic degrees
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition Ā© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 Ā© HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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