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View synonyms for begin

verb (used without object)

, be·gan [bih-, gan], be·gun [bih-, guhn], be·gin·ning [bih-, gin, -ing].

  1. to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of some action; commence; start:
    The story begins with their marriage.
    Antonyms: end
  2. to come into existence; arise; originate:
    The custom began during the Civil War.

verb (used with object)

, be·gan, be·gun, be·gin·ning.

  1. to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of (some action):
    Begin the job tomorrow.
  2. to originate; be the originator of:
    civic leaders who began the reform movement.
    Synonyms: initiate, inaugurate, institute
  3. to succeed to the slightest extent in (followed by an infinitive):
    The money won't even begin to cover expenses.

noun

  1. Me·na·chem [
    m, uh, -, nah, -, kh, uh, m
    ]
    ,
    1913–92,
    Israeli political leader, born in Poland: prime minister 1977–83; Nobel Peace Prize 1978.

/ ˈbɛɡɪn /

noun

  1. BeginMenachem19131992MIsraeliPolishPOLITICS: statesmanPOLITICS: prime minister Menachem (məˈnɑːkɪm). 1913–92, Israeli statesman, born in Poland. In Palestine after 1942, he became a leader of the militant Zionists; prime minister of Israel (1977–83); Nobel peace prize jointly with Sadat 1978. In 1979 he concluded the Camp David treaty with Anwar Sadat of Egypt

/ bɪˈɡɪn /

verb

  1. to start or cause to start (something or to do something)
  2. to bring or come into being for the first time; arise or originate
  3. used with a negative to have the least capacity (to do something)
    he couldn't begin to compete with her
  4. to begin with

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Word History and Origins

Origin of begin1

First recorded

before 1000; Middle English beginnen, Old English beginnan, equivalent to be- be-

+ -ginnan “to begin,” perhaps originally “to open,” akin to yawn

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Word History and Origins

Origin of begin1

Old English beginnan ; related to Old High German biginnan , Gothic duginnan

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Idioms and Phrases

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Synonym Study

Begin,

commence,

initiate,

start

(when followed by noun or gerund) refer to setting into motion or progress something that continues for some time.

Begin

is the common term:

to begin knitting a sweater.

Commence

is a more formal word, often suggesting a more prolonged or elaborate beginning:

to commence proceedings in court.

Initiate

implies an active and often ingenious first act in a new field:

to initiate a new procedure.

Start

means to make a first move or to set out on a course of action:

to start paving a street.

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Example Sentences

Basketball season begins this week with lots of tournaments and showcases.

“We continue to allow our party to align ourselves with the wealthiest few and everyday people are beginning to take notice.”

"Your colleagues...have real issues with Matt Gaetz as somebody to lead the U.S. Justice Department," he began.

Then came August, when Musk endorsed Trump and began pouring millions of dollars into the Trump campaign.

He was already out of the country in Mexico stretching his supply until he got back, and soon, his depression began to set in again.

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.