begin
verb (used without object)
to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of some action; commence; start.
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to begin.
begin
1 American
[bih-gin]
/ bɪˈgɪn /
verb (used without object)
-
begins,
present (3rd person singular)
-
began,
past
-
begun,
past participle
-
beginning
present participle
-
to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of some action; commence; start.
The story begins with their marriage.
- Antonyms:
- end
-
to come into existence; arise; originate.
The custom began during the Civil War.
verb (used with object)
-
begins,
present (3rd person singular)
-
began,
past
-
begun,
past participle
-
beginning
present participle
-
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.
- Synonyms:
- initiate, inaugurate, institute
-
to succeed to the slightest extent in (followed by an infinitive).
The money won't even begin to cover expenses.
Begin
2
American
[bay-gin]
/ ˈbeɪ gɪn /
noun
begin
1
British
/ bɪˈɡɪn /
verb
-
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
2
British
/ ˈbɛɡɪn /
noun
begin
Idioms
Synonym Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
beginsimple
-
beginssimple
-
have begunperfect
-
has begunperfect
-
am beginningprogressive
-
are beginningprogressive
-
is beginningprogressive
-
have been beginningperfect progressive
-
has been beginningperfect progressive
Past
-
begansimple
-
had begunperfect
-
was beginningprogressive
-
were beginningprogressive
-
had been beginningperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of begin
First recorded before 1000; Middle English beginnen, Old English beginnan, equivalent to be- be- + -ginnan “to begin,” perhaps originally “to open,” akin to yawn
Explanation
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.
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.
See Examples For:
But paradise can’t be lost if it was never really paradise to begin with.
From Salon ● Oct. 29, 2026
Antonio Costa, head of the European Council, said the process to appoint Lagarde's successor would begin immediately to ensure a "smooth transition".
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026
Lagarde is set to depart the ECB in February, and the European Council said Thursday it will immediately begin the process of finding her successor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
People for Places said it was awaiting a decision from the BSR before work could begin.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
Now I’ve said that much, I hardly know where to begin.
From "Code Name Kingfisher" by Liz Kessler
Begin in the same starting position as exercise No. 3.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
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 Kewpie mayonnaise — richer, silkier, faintly sweet, and unapologetically egg-forward.
From Salon ● Apr. 14, 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 in the section to your left and, within each section, move from left to right and top to bottom.
From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich
“Nocturne” stars Schreiber, “Atlanta” alumna Zazie Beetz and Emmy winner Stephen Graham and begins streaming Friday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
The sequence begins when visual information enters the eyes and continues as the brain interprets that information until a face is recognized.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 28, 2026
“We expect to see a sell-off in the currency, equities and bonds when trading begins later today,” Jackson says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026
Where it begins to fall apart is when you start to ask for more than just viral clapbacks.
From Slate ● Oct. 27, 2026
The film begins, a camera moving from the sky through the trees.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
In 1941, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power began diverting water from streams that feed the lake, sending it to the City of Angels via its controversial aqueduct.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
She lost the ability to speak, began to vomit violently and became disoriented, as her dad Scott called for an ambulance to take her to hospital.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
Before the playoffs began, the Brewers made it clear what Yelich means to them.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
Policymakers began a historic tightening campaign, lifting its benchmark rate from negative territory in mid-2022 to a record four percent in late 2023.
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026
The home in Bloemendaal served ex-prisoners and other war victims exclusively until 1950, when it also began to receive people in need of care from the population at large.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Staffers have begun assembling a list of possible investigations and witnesses, according to people familiar with the discussions.
From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026
The jeep maker’s turnaround efforts, including deep cost cuts and a comprehensive product offensive, have begun to support earnings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026
More recently, however, researchers have begun recognizing that these mobile genetic elements can also create opportunities for evolutionary change.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 28, 2026
Memphis has long struggled with high rates of violent crime that have begun to fall only in the last couple of years.
From Salon ● Oct. 28, 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
At the beginning of 2025, Hammond announced that he and his wife Mindy, who share two children, were separating, just three months after his father died of cancer.
From BBC ● Oct. 29, 2026
The Lakers were beginning a grueling five-game, seven-day stretch, but Vanderbilt was on the practice court in a full sweat at full speed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026
At the beginning of the study, participants completed detailed dietary questionnaires describing the foods and drinks they had consumed during the previous year.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 29, 2026
The changes address a long-simmering grievance among travelers, some of whom have encountered checkout instructions that read less like the end of a vacation and more like the beginning of a Saturday spent doing housework.
From Salon ● Oct. 28, 2026
Charlie asked me, beginning to rifle through Tansy’s eats.
From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck
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