ENGLISH DICTIONARY

Beginning

Definition, Meaning & Examples

Pronunciation /bɪˈɡɪn.ɪŋ/ · Part of speech noun

Quick meaning: Beginning is a noun meaning That which is begun; a rudiment or element.

Meaning

That which is begun; a rudiment or element.

More Meanings

  1. That which begins or originates something; the source or first cause.
  2. The initial portion of some extended thing.
  3. present participle and gerund of begin
  4. (informal) Being the first portion of some extended thing.
  5. (uncountable) The act of doing that which begins anything; commencement of an action, state, or space of time; entrance into being or upon a course; the first act, effort, or state of a succession of acts or states.

Example Sentences

He is beginning to read a new book.
What was the beginning of the dispute?
That house is at the beginning of the street.
The author describes the main character’s youth at the beginning of the story.

Word Forms

Synonyms for beginning

Depending on context, synonyms include commencing, start, starting, genesis, element, embryo.

Antonyms for beginning

Common opposites include conclusion, end, completion, finish, middle, ending.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include commencement, outset, start, origin, opening, offset.

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Sources & Attribution

FreeDictionaryAPI.com / Wiktionary · Original source · CC BY-SA 4.0

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