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
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The Giver
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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.
Dislodging that is an enormous undertaking, requiring not just an alternative currency but an alternative legal system, an alternative deep capital market, and an alternative security architecture.
From Barron's • May 27, 2026
As impressive as undertaking what is known simply as “The Double” are Legge’s travel plans from Indianapolis to Charlotte.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
The company now has a team of three people working on an AI adviser project, he said, adding that historically an undertaking like that would have required 10 to 15 people.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 18, 2026
"Hearts' entire staff had no alternative but to leave immediately, without undertaking post-match media duties," it said.
From BBC • May 17, 2026
Would I, in whatever endeavors I ended up undertaking in America, succeed, and would I do so nobly?
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
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.
