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

“Most investors we speak with are cautious about power companies undertaking large new nuclear risk in general,” he wrote.

From Barron's

But the DWP's own advisers say ministers have not done enough to reassure claimants, including those described as having "fluctuating" conditions, that "undertaking work‑related activities might lead to reassessment", and hence lower benefit awards.

From BBC

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

To get to this point was enough of an undertaking for Kornev, but he now must take on an even more challenging task: traveling by train to Moscow to alert his superiors.

From Los Angeles Times

Taking on a chip fab, as semiconductor manufacturing sites are called, would be a big undertaking for Tesla and SpaceX.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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