beginning

1 of 2

noun

be·​gin·​ning bi-ˈgi-niŋ How to pronounce beginning (audio)
bē-
1
: the point at which something begins : start
It was clear from the beginning that she would win.
2
: the first part
We missed the beginning of the movie.
3
: origin, source
No one remembers what the beginning of the feud was.
4
: a rudimentary stage or early period
usually used in plural
the company's modest beginnings in an old warehouse
She came from humble beginnings.

beginning

2 of 2

adjective

1
: just starting out
a beginning writer
2
a
: being first or the first part
the beginning chapters
b
: introductory
beginning chemistry

Examples of beginning in a Sentence

Noun Go back to the beginning of the song. We were late, so we missed the beginning of the movie. The changes that have been made so far are just the beginning. There are many more changes still to come. He came from humble beginnings. the company's modest beginnings in an old warehouse Adjective the beginning part of the book is a portrait of Europe on the eve of the World War I a course in beginning geology for nonscience majors
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Rumors surrounding his exit from Formula 1 had been brewing since the beginning of the Singapore GP weekend, but even without official confirmation, his departure seemed imminent. Kanzah Maktoum, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024 Higher egg prices have been seen before Even still, the prices for eggs in August are nothing compared to prices seen at the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023. Fernando Cervantes Jr., USA TODAY, 26 Sep. 2024
Adjective
Polk County supervisors also approved helping with the beginning phase of the project by funding soil sampling. Linh Ta, Axios, 27 Sep. 2024 Her high school diploma is just the beginning thanks to Santiago Canyon College program Originally Published: July 31, 2024 at 11:15 a.m. Contributing Writer, Orange County Register, 31 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for beginning 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'beginning.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English biginning, from gerund of beginnen "to begin"

Adjective

from present participle of begin

First Known Use

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of beginning was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near beginning

Cite this Entry

“Beginning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beginning. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

beginning

noun
be·​gin·​ning
bi-ˈgin-iŋ
1
: the point at which something begins
the beginning of the year
2
: the first part
go back to the beginning of the song
3
: an early stage or period
the beginnings of American history

More from Merriam-Webster on beginning

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!