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

Its capabilities move beyond mere automation of repetitive tasks, ushering in an era of intelligent decision augmentation and continuous optimization. —Christer Holloman, Forbes.com, 7 July 2025

The decision capped the most frenzied free agency in NBA history and altered the very fabric of the league, ushering in an unprecedented era of player empowerment and mobility that continues to ring true. —Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 7 July 2025

The 2025-27 biennial budget is the product of weeks of negotiations between Republican legislative leaders and the Democratic governor — the first bipartisan agreement of its kind since Evers was elected seven years ago, ushering in an era of divided government. —Hope Karnopp, jsonline.com, 7 July 2025

Now, Corenswet will step into the role of Superman, to hopefully usher in a new era of success for the character and DC. —James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1