undertake
Americanverb (used with object)
-
undertakes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
undertook,
past
-
undertaken,
past participle
-
undertaking
present participle
-
to take upon oneself, as a task, performance, etc.; attempt.
She undertook the job of answering all the mail.
-
to promise, agree, or obligate oneself (followed by an infinitive).
The married couple undertook to love, honor, and cherish each other.
-
to warrant or guarantee (followed by a clause).
The sponsors undertake that their candidate meets all the requirements.
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to take in charge; assume the duty of attending to.
The lawyer undertook a new case.
verb (used without object)
-
undertakes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
undertook,
past
-
undertaken,
past participle
-
undertaking
present participle
verb
-
(tr) to contract to or commit oneself to (something) or (to do something)
to undertake a job
to undertake to deliver the goods
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(tr) to attempt to; agree to start
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(tr) to take (someone) in charge
-
archaic to make oneself responsible (for)
-
(tr) to promise
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
undertakesimple
-
undertakessimple
-
have undertakenperfect
-
has undertakenperfect
-
am undertakingprogressive
-
are undertakingprogressive
-
is undertakingprogressive
-
have been undertakingperfect progressive
-
has been undertakingperfect progressive
Past
-
undertooksimple
-
had undertakenperfect
-
was undertakingprogressive
-
were undertakingprogressive
-
had been undertakingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of undertake
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English undertaken; see under-, take
Explanation
When you undertake a task or challenge, you attempt to accomplish it. If you want to undertake a verbal challenge right now, try saying “sushi chef” ten times quickly without messing up. Way back in the 13th century, undertake meant “seize” or “entrap.” Of course, the meaning has shifted significantly since then, and we hope you don’t feel entrapped when you decide to undertake a project. However, undertake does convey a level of commitment and involvement that’s somewhat stronger than the words try or attempt might suggest.
Vocabulary lists containing undertake
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Franklin D. Roosevelt, "A Date That Will Live In Infamy" (1941)
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The Mayflower Compact (1620)
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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:
In 2009, India and China agreed to undertake joint research into the impact of global warming on glaciers in the Himalayas and Tibet.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
Foreign nationals cannot sit China's bar exam, although they can undertake certain legal work at Chinese law firms.
From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026
A US real estate firm announced Wednesday it is buying the Chrysler Building and will undertake a vast makeover of the Art Deco landmark that dominates New York City's skyline.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
Modern European and American eels undertake extraordinary migrations, traveling thousands of kilometers from freshwater rivers to reproduce in the Sargasso Sea.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026
Nathan Hale then spoke up: “I will undertake it.”
From "George Washington, Spymaster" by Thomas B. Allen
Andrew Durand undertakes the challenging central role: He plays Benjamin from birth as an elderly man all the way through to childhood.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
Unitree’s humanoid robots can walk, run and climb and “can imitate & reinforce the learning drive” said the company, referring to algorithms that train the robot’s artificial intelligence as it undertakes tasks.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
Point 11 of the MoU detailed that the "United States of America undertakes to make fully available for use the frozen or restricted funds and assets of the Islamic Republic of Iran".
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
In the memorandum of understanding, the United States undertakes to "terminate all types of sanctions against" Iran, and to "make fully available for use the frozen or restricted funds and assets" of Iran.
From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026
Whatever he undertakes, he commits himself to it fully, absolutely.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
In all, she undertook three spacewalks on August 18 and 25, and September 1.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
Prosecutors charged Linton under an “implied malice” theory, meaning Linton is guilty if she knew her actions were dangerous to human life but undertook them anyway.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Concern stems from recent reports that Anthropic blocked use of AI tools to develop bioweapons and that swarms of AI bots autonomously undertook massive hacking operations.
From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026
At the time of the Observer investigation, publishing house Penguin said it "undertook all the necessary pre-publication due diligence", including a contract with an author warranty about factual accuracy, and a legal read.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
He undertook the very difficult task of shoving a chair over to the window.
From "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka
Investors have at times been hesitant to support the spending spree that Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg has undertaken to transform Meta into an AI company, repeatedly pushing him to see near-term returns.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 26, 2026
"It’s not an issue that can be solved with a law or a regulatory change. It’s a systematic effort that has to be undertaken," said Guajardo.
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026
"Based on the extensive analysis undertaken, we now know that the Fitzroy River is capable of providing fair competition conditions during the period of the Games," World Rowing president Jean-Christophe Rolland said.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
That revision was undertaken with analytical rigor: The process took two years, involved 35 agencies, incorporated extensive new and existing research, and elicited over 20,000 comments.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
Thus we see that buildings undertaken and completed by a single architect are usually more attractive and better planned than those which several have tried to patch up…
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
Evans also has a biotech start-up, Haemanthus, which is developing laser-based technology to analyze biological samples, an undertaking with echoes of Holmes’ failed blood-testing company.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026
The commenter had spent considerable time walking delivery workers through specialty aisles and negotiating alternatives, an especially frustrating undertaking when dietary restrictions were involved.
From Salon ● Oct. 25, 2026
"Reconstructing the lives of extinct life forms in a scientifically rigorous way, as opposed to just telling stories, is a precise and delicate undertaking," said Bhart-Anjan Bhullar, senior author of the study.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 25, 2026
He told the BBC that his wife had travelled to Egypt to look after her elderly, sick mother, who had been undertaking 18-hour round trips to take food to el-Shazly's two brothers in detention.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
Above the comforts of Base Camp, the expedition in fact became an almost Calvinistic undertaking.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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