undertaking
Americannoun
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the act of a person who undertakes any task or responsibility.
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a task, enterprise, etc., undertaken.
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a promise; pledge; guarantee.
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the business of an undertaker or funeral director.
noun
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something undertaken; task, venture, or enterprise
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an agreement to do something
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the business of an undertaker
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informal the practice of overtaking on an inner lane a vehicle which is travelling in an outer lane
Etymology
Origin of undertaking
Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; see origin at under, taking
Explanation
Painting a house is a serious undertaking––it looks simple but involves a lot of preparation and hard work. An undertaking is a job or a task you commit to. The word also can mean the profession of funeral management. When you take something under consideration, it means you're not necessarily going to do it, you're just going to think about it. When you take something on, you've undertaken to actually do it. The word undertaking suggests something that involves quite a bit of work. Organizing an Oxfam hunger-day at your school is a significant undertaking, but it's worth all the effort.
Vocabulary lists containing undertaking
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Can I Work It? Words for "Job"
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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.
The Oscar-nominated director and Jurassic Park star is undertaking his first UK tour with his jazz band The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra and will be at The Halls on 28 May.
From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026
The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits in recent weeks has remained low, suggesting that employers aren’t undertaking major layoffs in the wake of the latest Middle East conflict.
From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026
Indiana is undertaking a wider overhaul of how it covers autism therapy.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026
Rearmament on the scale Germany is now undertaking has required a major change in the way the country thinks about its defence, and about the place of the armed forces in society.
From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026
“No —” said Harry quickly; he had not counted on this, he had meant them to understand that he was undertaking this most dangerous journey alone.
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
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.
