inception
Americannoun
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beginning; start; commencement.
- Synonyms:
- conception, root, source, outset, origin
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British.
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the act of graduating or earning a university degree, usually a master's or doctor's degree, especially at Cambridge University.
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the graduation ceremony; commencement.
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(in science fiction) the act of instilling an idea into someone's mind by entering their dreams.
noun
Etymology
Origin of inception
First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English incepcion, from Latin inceptiōn- (stem of inceptiō ), equivalent to incept(us) “begun” ( incept ) + -iōn- -ion
Explanation
The inception is the beginning. Since its inception, Wikipedia has been created by its users. Inception sounds like conception, but their meanings are distinct. Conception usually refers to the moment of becoming pregnant. Inception refers more to the beginning, to entering upon an undertaking. Inception implies the start of a specific thing like a campaign or a company. Subsequent events take place after the inception. At the moment of conception, most women are at the inception of motherhood.
Vocabulary lists containing inception
"The Hill We Climb," by Amanda Gorman
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I'm New Here...
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Mahatma Gandhi's "Quit India" Speech
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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.
Since inception, the fund trails the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF by 0.21 percentage points annualized—but since the beginning of 2024, it’s underperformed by an average of more than 9 percentage points annualized.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026
The 18-year-old is among an elite group of women breaking into motorsport, which has been dominated since its inception by two institutional powers - men and money.
From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026
Horton’s fund has beaten the S&P 500 by a wide margin since its February 2022 inception, up 111% cumulatively versus the S&P 500’s 65%.
From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026
Legal Aid, which has participated in the program since its inception in 2021, will have to stop accepting new clients if the contract does not pass on Tuesday.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026
Twenty-five years after its inception, Public Allies is still going strong, with chapters in Chicago and two dozen other cities and thousands of alumni around the country.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
