commence

verb

com·​mence kə-ˈmen(t)s 

commenced; commencing

transitive verb

: to enter upon : begin

commence proceedings

intransitive verb

1

: to have or make a beginning : start

2

chiefly British : to take a degree at a university

commencer noun

Synonyms

• begin
• start

Choose the Right Synonym for commence

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 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

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

"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

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 on the Web

The battle of the crustless sandwiches has commenced. —Li Goldstein, Bon Appetit Magazine, 25 Oct. 2025

The last thirty-some years of his life commenced with Betsy. —Joy Williams, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025

Planning for the Meadowview site will commence this fall. —Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2025

The split commenced a contentious court battle in which the former model requested $175,057 in child support payments, a $45,000 increase from a tentative payment order, during a two-day Santa Barbara court hearing in August, according to People. —Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 20 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English comencen, from Anglo-French comencer, from Vulgar Latin *cominitiare, from Latin com- + Late Latin initiare to begin, from Latin, to initiate

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for commence

• condense
• defence
• defense
• dispense
• expense
• fourpence
• halfpence
• immense
• incense
• intense
• missense
• offence

Kids Definition

commence

verb

com·​mence kə-ˈmen(t)s 

commenced; commencing

: to bring or come into activity, being, or operation : begin, start

commence firing

commencer noun

Etymology

Middle English comencen "to begin," from early French comencer (same meaning), probably from a Latin word cominitiare "to begin," from com- "with, together" and initiare "to begin" — related to initiate