usher in

verb

ushered in; ushering in; ushers in

transitive verb

1

: to serve to bring into being

a discovery that ushered in a period of change

2

: to mark or observe the beginning of

ushered in the new year with merrymaking

Choose the Right Synonym for usher in

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 usher in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

After all, there’s no better way to usher in autumn than with a cheerful wreath. —Izzy Baskette, People.com, 14 Sep. 2025

Remember when Williams sported strands of pearls on a Chanel runway in 2019, ushering in a new era of gender fluidity? —Naomi Rougeau, Robb Report, 12 Sep. 2025

Like other big tech names, Oracle is betting much of its future on the promise that demand for computing capacity will keep going up as generative AI ushers in some kind of as-yet-undefined revolution. —Allison Morrow, CNN Money, 11 Sep. 2025

The buzz around the EV industry with new challengers entering the market could usher in a new chapter in India's auto history. —Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 11 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1