inception

noun

in·​cep·​tion in-ˈsep-shən 

: an act, process, or instance of beginning : commencement

Synonyms

• alpha
• baseline
• beginning
• birth
• commencement
• dawn
• day one
• genesis
• get-go
• git-go
• incipience
• incipiency
• kickoff
• launch
• morning
• nascence
• nascency
• onset
• outset
• start
• threshold

Choose the Right Synonym for inception

origin, source, inception, root mean the point at which something begins its course or existence.

origin applies to the things or persons from which something is ultimately derived and often to the causes operating before the thing itself comes into being.

an investigation into the origin of baseball

source applies more often to the point where something springs into being.

the source of the Nile

the source of recurrent trouble

inception stresses the beginning of something without implying causes.

the business has been a success since its inception

root suggests a first, ultimate, or fundamental source often not easily discerned.

the real root of the violence

Examples of inception in a Sentence

The project has been shrouded in controversy from its inception.

Since its inception, the business has expanded to become a national retail chain.

We'll assist you at every stage from inception to completion.

Recent Examples on the Web

Since its inception, in 2000, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which works with local governments to bring vaccines to low-income countries, has helped administer 1.9 billion vaccines and reached a billion children. —Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 27 June 2025

Ross has been a foundational voice for AEW since its inception. —Andrew Ravens‎, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 June 2025

Since its inception, the U.S. has given Israel $125 billion. —Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 June 2025

The three countries that President Donald Trump visited last month — Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE, which together pledged trillions in investments in the US — have clashed with Iran since the Islamic Republic’s inception. —Jeronimo Gonzalez, semafor.com, 22 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English incepcion, from Latin inception-, inceptio, from incipere to begin, from in- + capere to take

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for inception

• conception
• deception
• exception
• perception
• reception
• apperception
• contraception
• interception
• misconception
• misperception
• preconception
• intussusception

Kids Definition

inception

noun

in·​cep·​tion in-ˈsep-shən 

: an act or instance of beginning