undertaking

American  

[uhn-der-tey-king, uhn-der-tey-, uhn-der-tey-king] / ˌʌn dərˈteɪ kɪŋ, ˈʌn dərˌteɪ-, ˈʌn dərˌteɪ kɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of a person who undertakes any task or responsibility.

2. a task, enterprise, etc., undertaken.

   Synonyms:

   venture, effort, job, endeavor, project

3. a promise; pledge; guarantee.

4. the business of an undertaker or funeral director.

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undertaking British  

/ ˈʌndəˌteɪkɪŋ /

noun

1. something undertaken; task, venture, or enterprise

2. an agreement to do something

3. the business of an undertaker

4. informal the practice of overtaking on an inner lane a vehicle which is travelling in an outer lane

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Etymology

Origin of undertaking

Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; under, taking

Example Sentences

Her website still says that she began her teaching career in further education "whilst undertaking a PhD at the University of Liverpool".

From BBC

Selling a family home isn’t just a financial undertaking — it’s also emotional.

From MarketWatch

With nearly 70 years to cover, and generations of in-house studio musicians and writers, as well as those visiting recording stars, it’s an ambitious undertaking.

From The Wall Street Journal

As they left the site, Arnault, visibly energized by the scale of the undertaking, turned to Beccari, smiled and tapped him on the arm.

From The Wall Street Journal

But his thoughtful undertaking, and his imaginative synthesis of anecdote with history, lived religion with theology, always located in the particular, offers a fresh look at some unchanging human concerns.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• affair
• effort
• enterprise
• experiment
• operation
• project
• proposition
• task
• venture