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

The introduction of the DB12 back in 2024 ushered in Aston Martin’s first infotainment system developed in-house, a thoroughly modern solution that looks sharp and is quick to respond to user inputs. —Bradley Iger, Robb Report, 8 May 2026

Sweltering weather will descend on much of California over the next few days, possibly ushering in temperatures deeper into the triple digits earlier than ever for some areas. —Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2026

California could be home to 200,000 more jobs if the COVID-19 pandemic had not ushered in a phase of remote work, according to an analysis of labor market data by the nonpartisan Legislative Analysts Office. —William Melhado, Sacbee.com, 7 May 2026

Three weeks later a historic deal was finally ratified, ushering in a new era for the WNBA. —Yohana Desta, Vanity Fair, 7 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1