Showing results for "beginning"

• present participle of begin.

beginning

American  

[bih-gin-ing] / bɪˈgɪn ɪŋ /

noun

beginnings plural

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.

---

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

---

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.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• beginnings
  plural

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

See Examples For:

beginning beginnings

"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

At the beginning of July, about 50 protesters gathered outside of the warehouse and called for the warehouse operator to “pack up and leave” after cleaning up its mess.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

"It did result in a lot of tears and a lot of self-doubt at the beginning and I think that's completely normal and it's part of the process."

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

Shares of Meta have dropped 10% since the beginning of the year.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026

But that was only the beginning of my troubles.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

Members of Trump's cabinet, South Carolina lawmakers and other guests also assembled for the ceremony, and to listen to tributes to Graham's military service and more than three decades in Congress after humble beginnings.

From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026

Others, like “Obsession,” catapult from modest beginnings into an echelon of popularity that not even the academics and historians could’ve foreseen.

From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026

Concessionaires have been in Yosemite since its beginnings, as the federal government didn’t have the money to construct its own amenities in the 1850s, he said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

He said he wrote the piece to "honour my humble beginnings", adding "I am the son of my father, the baker".

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

It may have been the first touches of green along the French lanes and the haze of bluebells glimpsed through the woods that made him feel the need for reconciliation and fresh beginnings.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

Related Words

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