inception

noun

in·​cep·​tion in-ˈsep-shən 

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

a project kept secret since its inception

Synonyms of inception

• beginning
• commencement
• start
• onset
• launch
• alpha

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

SportsDay is the only sports section to place in at least two Triple Crown categories of the largest classification every year since the contest’s inception. —Sportsday Staff, Dallas Morning News, 28 Feb. 2026

Since its inception 35 years ago, Sony Pictures Classics — under the uncommonly consistent stewardship of co-chiefs Michael Barker and Tom Bernard — has been a bastion of socially minded cinema on the global stage. —Karen Kramer, Variety, 27 Feb. 2026

Success from the beginning Researcher Jose Millan has been at Sanford Burnham Prebys through all the changes, having joined at its inception. —Ashley MacKin Solomon, San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Feb. 2026

The current crisis can yield the kind of far-reaching, lasting reform that has evaded the global aid regime since its inception. —Time, 26 Feb. 2026

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