inception

American  

[in-sep-shuhn] / ɪnˈsɛp ʃən /

noun

inceptions plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• inceptions
  plural

Etymology

Origin of inception

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English incepcion, from Latin inceptiōn- (stem of inceptiō ), equivalent to incept(us) “begun” ( see 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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

inception inceptions

Mr. Rubio states that at its inception the ICC was proposed as a backstop against the gravest crimes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026

Since the inception of Meta Superintelligence Labs last year, the company has released a new Muse Spark model but has still lagged behind Anthropic and OpenAI.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 1, 2026

It has been up between 5% and 11% in the other years since its inception.

From Barron's ● Jun. 23, 2026

The journey from inception to opening day was a long one involving courts, hurdles, and a creative solution to an old problem.

From BBC ● Jun. 17, 2026

Its eventual demolition had been planned from its inception: both Newsome Park and next-door Copeland Park, for whites, were mandated to last only as long as the war.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

While Fleiss has been the face of the “The Bachelor,” “The Bachelorette” and other spinoffs since the shows’ inceptions, trade publications report he hasn’t led day-to-day operations in around a decade.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 28, 2023

Open—has been intimately involved in both projects since their inceptions earlier in the decade.

From Golf Digest ● Feb. 3, 2018

This early phase, from its earliest inceptions in the 1960s until 2000, is what J.G. Palfrey, the former executive director of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, calls the Open Internet.

From The Verge ● Apr. 13, 2016

Performance of the funds hasn’t kept up with the market, trailing their benchmarks since their inceptions.

From BusinessWeek ● Jan. 13, 2012

Out of the cloud that hangs around the vague inceptions of revolutions, a startling incident will sometimes flash like lightning, to show that the warring elements have begun their work.

From The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 08, No. 45, July, 1861 by Various

Related Words

• initiation
• outset