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

Marvel is ushering in a new era of superhero action with a group of antiheroes with Thunderbolts*, starring Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan, David Harbour, Lewis Pullman, Wyatt Russell, Hannah John-Kamen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and more. —Gerrad Hall, EW.com, 28 Apr. 2025

Brongniart strove to preserve the natural landscape of the Charonne hillside, and his naturalist design ushered in a wave of rural cemeteries. —Heller McAlpin, NPR, 28 Apr. 2025

Forget black cherry—Kylie Jenner has ushered in spring's hottest shade of nails: an orangey-red. —Margaux Anbouba, Vogue, 28 Apr. 2025

Just as Eisenhower’s Interstate Highway System led to a generation of economic growth, the build-out of next-gen missile defense could usher in massive public-private partnerships and foster incredible innovation. —Frank Holmes, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1