undertaking

[uhn-der-tey-king, uhn-der-tey-, uhn-der-tey-king]

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.

undertaking

/ 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

Word History and Origins

Origin of undertaking¹

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

Example Sentences

Without that clarity, public officials will continue to treat every new undertaking the same way, and the cycle of delay and failure will repeat.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Burgess is now betting on flood insurance, an undertaking so unprofitable that for decades private companies steered clear.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

A titanic, multi-decade undertaking, the “Life” was grounded in the crucial years Richardson spent with Cooper and Picasso and surely counts among the most significant artist biographies of our time.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Launched earlier this year, the hush-hush undertaking evaluated thousands of the company’s coffee shops across North America on profitability, and the experience of customers and baristas.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

That has cut into Home Depot’s sales in recent quarters, with fewer consumers undertaking home renovations before selling or after buying a home.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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