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.

---

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

---

Etymology

Origin of undertaking

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

Example Sentences

In undertaking this role, one of the most challenging and revered in 20th-century theater, he willfully—and rewardingly—hides that blazing light under a proverbial bushel.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits in recent weeks has remained low, suggesting that employers aren’t undertaking major layoffs in the wake of the latest Middle East conflict.

From Barron's • Apr. 3, 2026

Indiana is undertaking a wider overhaul of how it covers autism therapy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

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 • Mar. 26, 2026

Bethe had no intention of signing on until he had weighed the undertaking carefully.

From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik

Related Words

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