inception

American  

[in-sep-shuhn] / ɪnˈsɛp ʃən /

noun

1. beginning; start; commencement.

   Synonyms:

   conception, root, source, outset, origin

2. British.

   1. the act of graduating or earning a university degree, usually a master's or doctor's degree, especially at Cambridge University.

   2. the graduation ceremony; commencement.

3. (in science fiction) the act of instilling an idea into someone's mind by entering their dreams.

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inception British  

/ ɪnˈsɛpʃən /

noun

1. the beginning, as of a project or undertaking

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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

Example Sentences

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

At its inception, the division had a roster of four faculty members, including John, who was appointed an assistant professor of medical physics and mostly paid out of the Physics Department budget.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

• initiation
• outset