beginning

American  

[bih-gin-ing] / bɪˈgɪn ɪŋ /

noun

1. an act or circumstance of entering upon an action or state.

   the beginning of hostilities.

   Synonyms:

   inception, inauguration, initiation

   Antonyms:

   ending

2. the point of time or space at which anything begins.

   the beginning of the Christian era; the beginning of the route.

   Synonyms:

   emergence, onset, outset, commencement, start

   Antonyms:

   end

3. the first part.

   the beginning of the book; the beginning of the month.

4. Often beginnings. the initial stage or part of anything.

   the beginnings of science.

5. origin; source; first cause.

   A misunderstanding about the rent was the beginning of their quarrel.

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adjective

1. just formed.

   a beginning company.

2. first; opening.

   the beginning chapters of a book.

3. basic or introductory.

   beginning Spanish.

4. learning the fundamentals.

   a beginning swimmer.

beginning British  

/ bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ /

noun

1. a start; commencement

2. (often plural) a first or early part or stage

3. the place where or time when something starts

4. an origin; source

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Usage

Spelling tips for beginning The word beginning is hard to spell for two reasons. It doesn't simply combine the base word (begin) with the suffix -ing, as is done in other easy-to-remember words that end in -ing, like starting and talking. Also, it can be tempting to use a double g (beggining) instead of a double n. How to spell beginning: To spell beginning, you take the base word begin and add an n at the end. Then, add the suffix -ing. Why do you need an extra n? Because you should begin right Now.

Etymology

Origin of beginning

First recorded in 1175–1225, beginning is from the Middle English word beginnung, begonning. See begin, -ing ¹

Explanation

The beginning is the first part or section of something, or the place where it starts. You watch the opening credits at the beginning of a movie. "In the beginning," says the beginning of the Bible, "God created the heavens and the earth." Beginning can mean the act of starting something (the day after Thanksgiving is the beginning of the Christmas shopping season), or it can mean the time when something will start (Beginning at noon, all Christmas ornaments will go on sale.) Beginning can also refer to the origin of something, its root or source, as the beginning of the Mississippi River is Lake Itasca, Minnesota.

Example Sentences

“If they had access to all of our messaging going back to the beginning, there’s nothing in there.”

From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026

The charity received an official warning from the regulator in September 2022 "for mismanagement that had taken place from its incorporation in 2013 to the beginning of 2019".

From BBC • May 18, 2026

Wall Street is licking its chops over an unprecedented slate of massive IPOs set to arrive in the coming months, beginning with Elon Musk's SpaceX in June.

From Barron's • May 17, 2026

The world’s worst outbreaks occurred between 2013 and 2016, beginning in Guinea and sweeping through Sierra Leone and Liberia and leading to more than 11,000 deaths.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2026

They had more or less run amuck and were damming up rivers and flooding highways, filling pastures, even beginning to invade the cities.

From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen

Related Words

• birth
• creation
• dawn
• inauguration
• inception
• introduction
• onset
• opening
• outset
• starting point
• top