undertake
Americanverb (used with object)
-
undertakes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
undertook,
past
-
undertaken,
past participle
-
undertaking
present participle
-
to take upon oneself, as a task, performance, etc.; attempt.
She undertook the job of answering all the mail.
-
to promise, agree, or obligate oneself (followed by an infinitive).
The married couple undertook to love, honor, and cherish each other.
-
to warrant or guarantee (followed by a clause).
The sponsors undertake that their candidate meets all the requirements.
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to take in charge; assume the duty of attending to.
The lawyer undertook a new case.
verb (used without object)
-
undertakes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
undertook,
past
-
undertaken,
past participle
-
undertaking
present participle
verb
-
(tr) to contract to or commit oneself to (something) or (to do something)
to undertake a job
to undertake to deliver the goods
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(tr) to attempt to; agree to start
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(tr) to take (someone) in charge
-
archaic to make oneself responsible (for)
-
(tr) to promise
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
undertakesimple
-
undertakessimple
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have undertakenperfect
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has undertakenperfect
-
am undertakingprogressive
-
are undertakingprogressive
-
is undertakingprogressive
-
have been undertakingperfect progressive
-
has been undertakingperfect progressive
Past
-
undertooksimple
-
had undertakenperfect
-
was undertakingprogressive
-
were undertakingprogressive
-
had been undertakingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of undertake
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English undertaken; see under-, take
Explanation
When you undertake a task or challenge, you attempt to accomplish it. If you want to undertake a verbal challenge right now, try saying “sushi chef” ten times quickly without messing up. Way back in the 13th century, undertake meant “seize” or “entrap.” Of course, the meaning has shifted significantly since then, and we hope you don’t feel entrapped when you decide to undertake a project. However, undertake does convey a level of commitment and involvement that’s somewhat stronger than the words try or attempt might suggest.
Vocabulary lists containing undertake
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Franklin D. Roosevelt, "A Date That Will Live In Infamy" (1941)
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The Mayflower Compact (1620)
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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.
See Examples For:
The group will undertake a new capital increase reserved for employees, "who will benefit from a 20 percent discount on the share price".
From Barron's ● Oct. 29, 2026
In 2009, India and China agreed to undertake joint research into the impact of global warming on glaciers in the Himalayas and Tibet.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
Able-bodied South Korean males are usually required to undertake between 18 and 21 months of military service before the age of 28.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
Modern European and American eels undertake extraordinary migrations, traveling thousands of kilometers from freshwater rivers to reproduce in the Sargasso Sea.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026
To repair a man’s soul and deepest heart—to reverse an irreversible trade—might be far, far more than Matty could possibly undertake.
From "Messenger" by Lois Lowry
Unitree’s humanoid robots can walk, run and climb and “can imitate & reinforce the learning drive” said the company, referring to algorithms that train the robot’s artificial intelligence as it undertakes tasks.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
The visit came as part of Royal Week in Scotland, where the royal family undertakes a series of engagements north of the border.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
The FTC today enforces some 80 statutes that cover “almost every facet of the Nation’s economy, and the tasks it undertakes are ‘the very essence of “execution” of the law,’” the Chief writes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
In the memorandum of understanding, the United States undertakes to "terminate all types of sanctions against" Iran, and to "make fully available for use the frozen or restricted funds and assets" of Iran.
From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026
Whatever he undertakes, he commits himself to it fully, absolutely.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
In all, she undertook three spacewalks on August 18 and 25, and September 1.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
Prosecutors charged Linton under an “implied malice” theory, meaning Linton is guilty if she knew her actions were dangerous to human life but undertook them anyway.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
"There is certainly no corporation tax to recover. Football clubs lose money and City would have lost more money had it not been for the activities it undertook."
From BBC ● Sep. 30, 2026
Concern stems from recent reports that Anthropic blocked use of AI tools to develop bioweapons and that swarms of AI bots autonomously undertook massive hacking operations.
From Salon ● Sep. 14, 2026
Dad was making no visible progress on the Glass Castle, and I knew that the can of yellow paint would sit on the porch unless I undertook the job myself.
From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls
Some responses to the wreckage can be undertaken through new leadership.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
This sentence could refer to any number of actions undertaken by the department in recent months.
From Slate ● Nov. 3, 2026
His campaign attracted many PRI dissidents who opposed the free-market economic reforms undertaken by then-President Miguel de la Madrid.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
"It’s not an issue that can be solved with a law or a regulatory change. It’s a systematic effort that has to be undertaken," said Guajardo.
From Barron's ● Oct. 22, 2026
“No propaganda work undertaken by the State Association and Party has ever achieved such publicity,” bragged the New York State Woman Suffrage Association’s official journal.
From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler
"This is going to be really difficult for me personally, 100%," acknowledged Evans, who is undertaking his second challenge for the BBC charity fundraiser, following his 24-hour drumathon challenge back in 2021.
From BBC ● Nov. 3, 2026
Evans also has a biotech start-up, Haemanthus, which is developing laser-based technology to analyze biological samples, an undertaking with echoes of Holmes’ failed blood-testing company.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 26, 2026
"A researcher might be able to examine a few thousand Reddit posts by hand, but looking at nearly 150,000 would be an enormous undertaking," says Sehgal.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026
“The U.K. is one of only a few major economies to be undertaking active fiscal consolidation,” economists at BNP Paribas wrote in a note to clients.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
I cannot and will not give any undertaking at a time when I and you, the people, are not free.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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