usher in

verb

ushered in; ushering in; ushers in

transitive verb

1

: to serve to bring into being

a discovery that ushered in a period of change

2

: to mark or observe the beginning of

ushered in the new year with merrymaking

Choose the Right Synonym for usher in

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 usher in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Rethinking Wellness, Rethinking Retirement While Vista ushers in a new era for Vi at Aventura, a commitment to staying on the forefront of aging well — and reimagining what senior living can be — has always been at the heart of the community. —Miami Herald, 28 May 2026

Situated on the grounds of historic house museum Barrington Hall and featuring an overarching lavender theme, this festival is a great way to usher in summer. —Elizabeth Green, AJC.com, 28 May 2026

Speaking of Tadej, and that new era of cycling that Pogacar has ushered in — just how different is the sport now from the sport from before your crash, or from your breakthrough season in 2018? —Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 27 May 2026

Yet her death helped to provoke a war that helped usher in a revolution. —Literary Hub, 26 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1