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

From December 4 through 14, the town rings in the season with Christmas Prelude, an annual tradition that’s now ushering in its 44th year. —Jacqueline Dole, Travel + Leisure, 23 Nov. 2025

Before Light Up Night this weekend, Pittsburgh is ushering in the holiday season by lighting the Three Rivers Tree at Point State Park and opening the Peoples Gas Holiday Market. —Lauren Linder, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025

In addition to ushering in new beginnings, this marks one of the season's biggest turning points. —Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 21 Nov. 2025

Lucy Lawless is there to help usher in this new age for House of Ashur. —Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly, 20 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1