commence
Americanverb (used with or without object)
verb
Related Words
See begin.
Other Word Forms
- commenceable adjective
- commencer noun
- recommence verb
Etymology
Origin of commence
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English commencen, from Anglo-French, Middle French comencer, from unrecorded Vulgar Latin cominitiāre, equivalent to Latin com- com- + initiāre “to begin”; see initiate
Explanation
Commence is a fancy way of saying "begin." Your invitation to a formal wedding might note, "The ceremony will commence at noon." If a congressman wants to start a meeting to vote on an important bill, he might say, "This meeting will begin immediately." Or, he could make the same statement in a more formal way by saying, "This meeting will commence immediately." Interestingly enough, while the word commence means to start, a commencement ceremony marks the end of a college career.
Vocabulary lists containing commence
Bud, Not Buddy
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Essential English Vocabulary, List 1
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List 8
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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.
"The business will now commence trading in administration managed by FRP Advisory as they seek to continue discussions with interested parties regarding a sale of some or all of the business and its brands."
From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026
Now, writers are poised to commence another round of bargaining with the major studios on a new three-year film and TV contract.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2026
Allowing Summers to commence a dignified retirement while continuing to hold honorifics risks signaling that there are ultimately few consequences at the very top in higher education.
From Salon • Feb. 28, 2026
If Eddie Bauer is unable to come to a sale arrangement, “we will commence an orderly wind down of…store operations,” he added.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026
It didn’t thaw out and commence moving again till the summer of ’fifty-four!
From "Elijah of Buxton" by Christopher Paul Curtis
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.
