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

On June 11, the Duchess of Sussex ushered in the warmer months with an Instagram Reel for her lifestyle brand, As Ever. —Juliana Ukiomogbe, InStyle, 12 June 2026

Sunday will be another pleasant day as northerly winds will usher in dry, cooler air into the region. —Kansas City Star, 12 June 2026

In the early 1960s, one was a young first lady helping to usher in a new era of American optimism and the other was a young monarch carrying the weight of a centuries-old institution. —Simon Perry, PEOPLE, 11 June 2026

Steven Spielberg's dino masterpiece — which has spawned six sequels and countless imitators — ushered in a new wave of CGI filmmaking and became an instant sensation beyond what original author Michael Crichton could ever have envisioned. —Huntley Woods, Entertainment Weekly, 11 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1