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

Connecticut residents also love to travel to Ireland, Aer Lingus, the Irish airline that ushered in a new era of transatlantic service to Bradley International Airport, flies to Dublin. —Staff Report, Hartford Courant, 11 Mar. 2026

The streaming wars ushered in a rise of the straight-to-series orders which became the default model in the new medium. —Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 11 Mar. 2026

Meanwhile, Mara ushered in springy floral bubble dress with nude pumps and Parisian-chic makeup. —Christina Perrier, InStyle, 11 Mar. 2026

Turnage was part of a wave of young Democrats hoping to oust older incumbents and usher in a new era. —Sophie Bates, Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1