as in beginning
the point at which something begins
there was a large turnout at the commencement of the conference, but the numbers dwindled as it progressed
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Recent Examples of commencement
The next day, at Livingstone’s spring commencement ceremony, Davis made his plea.
—
Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Feb. 2026
Actress Sarah Jessica Parker will deliver the graduation commencement speech in June for Northwestern’s Class of 2026, according to an announcement Tuesday from the university.
—Doug George, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
The élite public and private universities are intentionally exclusionary, which is why seemingly every one of their commencement speakers talks about the assembled, in their caps and gowns, as the future leaders of America and the best of the best.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2026
Known for his couture collections and dressing icons such as Cicely Tyson and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Michael previously served as a guest lecturer, critic and commencement speaker at the school.
—Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for commencement
Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 26 Feb. 2026
Actress Sarah Jessica Parker will deliver the graduation commencement speech in June for Northwestern’s Class of 2026, according to an announcement Tuesday from the university.
—Doug George, Chicago Tribune, 24 Feb. 2026
The élite public and private universities are intentionally exclusionary, which is why seemingly every one of their commencement speakers talks about the assembled, in their caps and gowns, as the future leaders of America and the best of the best.
—Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2026
Known for his couture collections and dressing icons such as Cicely Tyson and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Michael previously served as a guest lecturer, critic and commencement speaker at the school.
—Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 6 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for commencement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commencement
Noun
-
The Defense Department has been exploring ways to harden positions and counter drones ever since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine conflict four years ago.—
James LaPorta
March 5,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
According to the announcement, the transaction is expected to close in either the end of the first financial quarter or beginning of the second quarter.—
Mason Leib,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Nico Hansen totaled four saves in his first start for Colorado (2-1-0) this season after starting 10 times as a rookie last season.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
When does 2026 daylight savings time spring forward start, DST fall back end?—
Chris Sims,
IndyStar,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Legal Aid, which has participated in the program since its inception in 2021, will have to stop accepting new clients if the contract does not pass on Tuesday.—
Noah Goldberg,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Our Top Picks Nordic Knots’s elegant Scandinavian style (and penchant for arresting patterns) have made their rugs a hot commodity among design lovers like the AD team since their inception in 2016.—
Nashia Baker,
Architectural Digest,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
An example of this work from the Team Mutographs effort is a paper in the journal Nature on April 23 that looked for mutational signatures in early-onset colorectal cancer, which is increasing in many countries.—
Paul Sisson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
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Ever rising taxes are a primary concern for voters, as the budget has ballooned since the onset of COVID-19.—
Juan Rangel,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Technology push comes amid slowing EV growth The launch arrives at a challenging moment for China’s EV industry.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Kim came back Wednesday to observe a test launch of cruise missiles from the Choe Hyon.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commencement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commencement. Accessed 12 Mar. 2026.
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