begin

verb

be·​gin bi-ˈgin 

bē-

began bi-ˈgan 

bē-

; begun bi-ˈgən 

bē-

; beginning

intransitive verb

1

: to do the first part of an action : go into the first part of a process : start

began by introducing herself

will have to begin again

2

a

: to come into existence : arise

Their problems were just beginning.

b

: to have a starting point

Her career began in Chicago.

Prices begin at $110 per night.

3

: to do or succeed in the least degree

I can't begin to tell you how pleased I am.

transitive verb

1

: to set about the activity of : start

They began the lecture at 10:00.

have already begun construction

2

a

: to bring into being : found

credited with beginning the movement

In 1819, he married the daughter of a … chief and began a dynasty that would last for nearly 200 years.

—Robert F. Oaks

b

: originate, invent

began their tradition

Phrases

to begin with

: as the first thing to be considered

Synonyms

• commence
• embark (on or upon)
• enter (into or upon)
• fall (to)
• get off
• kick off
• launch
• lead off
• open
• start
• strike (into)

Choose the Right Synonym for begin

begin, commence, start, initiate, inaugurate, usher in mean to take the first step in a course, process, or operation.

begin, start, and commence are often interchangeable.

begin, opposed to end, is the most general.

begin a trip

began dancing

start, opposed to stop, applies especially to first actions, steps, or stages.

the work started slowly

commence can be more formal or bookish than begin or start.

commence firing

commenced a conversation

initiate implies taking a first step in a process or series that is to continue.

initiated diplomatic contacts

inaugurate suggests a beginning of some formality or notion of significance.

the discovery of penicillin inaugurated a new era in medicine

usher in is somewhat less weighty than inaugurate.

ushered in a period of economic decline

Examples of begin in a Sentence

They will begin construction on the new school soon.

I got the job and I begin work on Monday!

She'll begin the lecture at 10.

He plans to begin the project later this week.

They both began their careers at the local newspaper.

The university began accepting applications in November.

I had just begun eating when the phone rang.

She interrupted as soon as I began to speak.

Now that I've begun, I'll go on till I finish.

I began the quilt last month.

Recent Examples on the Web

The companies began attracting refugees from the traditional funeral world, like Katey Houston, Return Home’s services manager. —David Browne, Rolling Stone, 22 Apr. 2024

The Civil War began in 1861, more than 30 years after the decade Swift references in the song. —Katie Wiseman, The Courier-Journal, 22 Apr. 2024

Following the significant oil spill in Santa Barbara, California in 1969, awareness began to increase and people started to show concern, particularly those who were college students and part of the anti-war movement. —Shelby Slade, The Arizona Republic, 22 Apr. 2024

The trial has begun about a year after a grand jury originally delivered the indictment that set up this trial as the first against a sitting or former U.S. president. —Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 22 Apr. 2024

Over the course of this year, Tesla began digital advertising on places like social media and YouTube. —Paolo Confino, Fortune, 22 Apr. 2024

The festival begins on Nissan 15, while the first and seventh days are observed as yom tov − a period when work is not performed. —Chris Sims, The Indianapolis Star, 22 Apr. 2024

In summer 2021, the Franklin Police Department began treating Eckert's case as a homicide. —Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 22 Apr. 2024

The new labels, which go live beginning Wednesday and that all major internet service providers (ISPs) will now be required to show, are among the latest steps by the US government to help consumers make sense of the mix of plans, fees and promotional rates on the market today. —Brian Fung, CNN, 10 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English beginnen, going back to Old English beginnan, from be- be- + -ginnan, going back to Germanic *genn-a-, verbal base of uncertain meaning and origin occurring only with prefixes, found also in Old English onginnan "to be at a starting point, start," Old High German beginnan, Gothic duginnan

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Phrases Containing begin

• can't begin to tell you
• can't even begin to describe
• tempers begin to fray
• to begin with

Kids Definition

begin

verb

be·​gin bi-ˈgin 

began -ˈgan  ; begun -ˈgən  ; beginning

1

: to do or be the first part of an action or course : start

begin your homework

it began to rain

2

: to come or bring into existence : originate

the war began in 1939

3

: to do or succeed in the least degree

does not begin to fill our needs

Biographical Definition

Begin

biographical name

Be·​gin ˈbā-gin 

Me*na*chem mə-ˈnä-ḵəm  1913–1992 prime minister of Israel (1977–83)