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

Engineers in the United States have developed a novel multilayer computer chip with a unique architecture that could help usher in a new era of AI hardware and domestic semiconductor innovation. —Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 14 Dec. 2025

Eighty years ago, at the height of World War II, the Hanford site forged the plutonium that would help end the war and usher in a new atomic era. —New Atlas, 14 Dec. 2025

From savory starters, like party-ready dips and one-bite delights, to crowd-friendly mains, like pot roasts and extra-special pasta dishes, these New Year’s recipes are primed to send out the old and usher in the new. —Kelly Vaughan, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Dec. 2025

The designer, part of a generation that revolutionized French fashion by ushering in ready-to-wear in the 1970s, has always been an outlier — a rebel who is also part of the establishment. —Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 13 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1