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

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

Getting into semiconductor production isn’t a small undertaking, though.

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

Building the fab is a multibillion-dollar undertaking; Tesla may seek partners, though some analysts suggest it could be a solo-funded project.

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

The U.S. power industry is undertaking an expensive AI-driven expansion of the electric grid, with costs potentially shared by AI companies and consumers.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

We were right about what he would intend to do: that he would not even pause for breath before undertaking to restore his house and plantation as near as possible to what it had been.

From "Absalom, Absalom!" by William Faulkner

Related Words

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