Commence

/kəˈmɛns/ · verb

Meaning

(intransitive) To begin, start..

Definitions by Sense

1. (intransitive) To begin, start.
2. (transitive) To begin, start.
3. (Appalachia, intransitive, with to) To begin or start.
4. (transitive) To begin to be, or to act as.
5. (UK, intransitive, dated) To take a degree at a university.

Example Sentences

Here the anthem doth commence:

His heaven commences ere the world be past!

He commenced dressing at top by donning his beaver hat, a very tall one, by the by, and then—still minus his trowsers—he hunted up his boots.

Then he commenced to talk, really talk. and inside of two flaps of a herring's fin he had me mesmerized, like Eben Holt's boy at the town hall show. He talked about the ills of humanity, and the glories of health and Nature and service and land knows what all.

The speeches commenced three days of workshops, seminars, and cultural activities.

At dawn we'll commence to drive.

[…] he furnish’d me with a Gun, Cartouch-box, and Powder-horn, &c. and thus accouter’d I commenc’d Soldier.

When we are wearied of the trouble of prosecuting crimes at the bar, we commence judges ourselves […]

Synonyms for commence

Antonyms for commence

Related Words

Word Forms

• commences
• commencing
• commenced

Usage Notes

Choose a synonym only when it preserves the intended meaning, tone, and grammar of the full sentence.

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