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Definition of commence
commenced
;commencing
commencer
nounExplore M-W
Examples of commence in a Sentence
Dear God, I thought, I've been infected by an earworm. My friend the Longhair says that's what you call songs that burrow into your head and commence chewing your brains. —Stephen King, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Apr./1 May 2009
He thereupon commenced giving me this fantastically boring lecture about how the only reason I want a stuffed chicken is because they look so good in a shop window, and that the moment I received one I'd start dreaming up ways to ditch it. —Douglas Coupland, Generation X, 1991
“Why shoot, I thought you wanted to be a lawyer, you've already commenced going to court.” The ladies laughed again. —Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, 1960
The policy would commence not only with the limiting of permits for the building of hotels and boats but with supervision—through expert architectural advice—of the construction of these boats and hotels … —William Styron, This Quiet Dust and Other Writings, (1953) 1982
I have commenced two letters to send you before this, both of which displeased me before I got half done, and so I tore them up. —Abraham Lincoln, letter, 4 May 1837
The festivities will commence with a parade.
Their contract commences in January.
The court commenced criminal proceedings.
The country has commenced preparations for war.
Recent Examples of commence from the Web
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Investors will be looking for validation of a working assumption that the policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee will commence balance-sheet roll-off in September and wait for December to hike rates.
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In a statement on state television, the army said the ceasefire commenced at midday on Sunday and would continue until midnight on Thursday.
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Another small-screen party commenced at Refinery Rooftop, where Keegan-Michael Key and Cobie Smulders toasted the premiere of their new Netflix show, Friends from College.
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But since the administration’s ban is temporary — lasting only 90 days for visitors, and 120 for refugees — Trump will be able to implement his plan before that legal fight commences.
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FORECAST IN DETAIL The week commences with some of the finest weather late June can offer.
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This cool down will be short-lived due to a warming trend that will commence by the middle and end of the week, with temps back around 80, Wednesday, 80s Thursday, and near 90 by Friday.
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The initial director search, which commenced in September 2016, netted three finalists.
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Britain commenced a long process of widening the franchise in 1832.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'commence'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of commence
Middle English comencen, from Anglo-French comencer, from Vulgar Latin *cominitiare, from Latin com- + Late Latin initiare to begin, from Latin, to initiate
Synonym Discussion of commence
COMMENCE Defined for English Language Learners
COMMENCE Defined for Kids
Learn More about commence
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See words that rhyme with commence Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for commence Spanish Central: Translation of commence Nglish: Translation of commence for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of commence for Arabic speakers
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