to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of some action; commence; start.
The story begins with their marriage.
to come into existence; arise; originate.
The custom began during the Civil War.
to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of (some action).
Begin the job tomorrow.
to originate; be the originator of.
civic leaders who began the reform movement.
to succeed to the slightest extent in (followed by an infinitive).
The money won't even begin to cover expenses.
to start or cause to start (something or to do something)
to bring or come into being for the first time; arise or originate
to start to say or speak
(used with a negative) to have the least capacity (to do something)
he couldn't begin to compete with her
in the first place
Begin, commence, initiate, start (when followed by noun or gerund) refer to setting into motion or progress something that continues for some time. Begin is the common term: to begin knitting a sweater. Commence is a more formal word, often suggesting a more prolonged or elaborate beginning: to commence proceedings in court. Initiate implies an active and often ingenious first act in a new field: to initiate a new procedure. Start means to make a first move or to set out on a course of action: to start paving a street.
First recorded before 1000; Middle English beginnen, Old English beginnan, equivalent to be- be- + -ginnan “to begin,” perhaps originally “to open,” akin to yawn
To begin is to start. When it begins to snow, every flake looks pretty, drifting gently down from the dark sky. When you begin something, you go ahead with its first part or stage — you can begin the day with a good attitude, or begin a very long book over and over again, always falling asleep before you get to chapter two. You also might begin a journey by lacing up your hiking boots. Things also begin when they have a specific element as a first part, as when a word begins with the letter T.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Senators voted 86-12 to begin consideration of the bipartisan measure, clearing its first procedural hurdle but leaving further debate and a final vote still to come.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
Press Metal is still projected to post record annual earnings over the coming years as its alumina plant, due to begin operations in early 2027, improves its cost structure, he adds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
The search will soon begin for a new right-hand man or woman for King Charles, with the current principal private secretary, Sir Clive Alderton, set to step down next year.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Given that I plan to retire at the end of the year, I intend to transition from my employer’s health insurance to Medicare and begin collecting my Social Security retirement benefits.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
The leaders of the march are too far away for me to see, but I guess they’ve given the order to begin, because the crowd starts walking forward.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
By rapidly distributing footage of troops entering the fortress, the military echoed a famous 1982 image showing then-defence minister Ariel Sharon and prime minister Menahem Begin at the same spot.
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
Begin with Magic Johnson and Billie Jean King, part of the group that owns the Dodgers and Sparks.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 27, 2026
Begin Health launched a “daily baby gut health booster” in 2024 for babies up to a year old, said founder Madeline Lauf.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 3, 2026
Begin with heat and fat, then add your aromatics, giving them time to soften and bloom.
From Salon ● Feb. 8, 2026
Begin by stressing play and participation over performance.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
Porsche AG backed its full-year guidance as the company’s strategic reset begins to yield positive results.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
It has felt impossible for fans and pundits to defend the fact the club had only one new face through the door less than a week before their Premiership title defence begins.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
“I think it’s the Emily Wilson translation that begins, ‘Tell me about a complicated man,’” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Then El Niño begins affecting food supplies and electricity markets.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
I set aside my thoughts and worries when Carmen begins to show us how to float.
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
The combined air operation came as President Donald Trump met with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington for their first in-person talks since the Middle East war began in late February.
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
Saudi Arabia began relying more on its Red Sea route after the Strait of Hormuz closed amid the war in Iran.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 29, 2026
She began presenting on the Sky At Night in 2023, and recently did a show on Jodrell Bank's history and the research there.
From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026
Rainfall levels in Wales, where drought was triggered in parts last week, are so low that July 2026 is currently the fourth driest of any month since records began.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
And around us conversation began again, a hum of party talk rising and falling.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
The city has also begun sending out notifications to homeowners that they might be subject to the new tax.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Companies once viewed as abundant free-cash-flow generators are now being valued against a backdrop of much heavier investment spending, and in some cases their stock prices have already begun to reflect that change.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
The world's tech giants have already begun slapping their own labels in anticipation of the rules.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
The 24-year-old is on holiday after playing for England at the World Cup, while Chelsea have begun their pre-season tour in Sydney.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
“I’m not sure how I should answer that, sir,” I finally said when the silence had begun to stretch uncomfortably.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
"We may have a new chairman, but the old guard is now worried about where the economy has moved since the beginning of the year."
From Barron's ● Jul. 29, 2026
With European competition beginning in December there are four Prem rounds across six weeks until January, before a 10-week league pause again in February and March for the Six Nations.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
PayPal on Tuesday said Lores’s strategy is beginning to bear fruit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026
Yet every now and then the Strokes, who absolutely ripped at Coachella in April, lock into a groove with the springy precision that’s been the band’s signature since the beginning.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 27, 2026
We get hot dogs and lemonades and shuffle into our row side-ways, just as the game is beginning, squeezing past the people who are already in their seats.
From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison
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.
