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 festival continues through Sunday, with online and in-person events and writing workshops, including a performance by Kim Addonizio on Friday night and the Santa Clara County Youth Poet Laureate commencement ceremony Saturday night, hosted by Santa Clara County Poet Laureate Yosimar Reyes.
—
Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 23 Sep. 2025
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk's memorial service at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, has drawn big crowds and bigger names from the music industry, who have performed in the runup to the commencement of service and speeches.
—Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
Moreover, the dissociation process is conditioned on Debtor's commencement of a bankruptcy case, the precise situation that § 541(c) is intended to address.
—Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
The University of Southern California said security concerns prompted it to cancel the commencement speech of its 2024 valedictorian, who was an outspoken advocate for Palestinians, according to The Associated Press.
—Brieanna J. Frank, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commencement
Sal Pizarro, Mercury News, 23 Sep. 2025
Conservative activist Charlie Kirk's memorial service at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, has drawn big crowds and bigger names from the music industry, who have performed in the runup to the commencement of service and speeches.
—Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Sep. 2025
Moreover, the dissociation process is conditioned on Debtor's commencement of a bankruptcy case, the precise situation that § 541(c) is intended to address.
—Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025
The University of Southern California said security concerns prompted it to cancel the commencement speech of its 2024 valedictorian, who was an outspoken advocate for Palestinians, according to The Associated Press.
—Brieanna J. Frank, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commencement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commencement
Noun
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After drawing 1-1 with Manchester United at the beginning of the month, dropping points for the first time in the Women’s Super League (WSL) this season, Chelsea needed a penalty to equalise and finish with the same result away against FC Twente of the Vrouwen Eredivisie.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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Less than a month later, Skaggs died alone in a hotel room in Southlake, Texas, at the beginning of an Angels road trip of what was later determined to be a lethal combination of fentanyl, oxycodone and alcohol.—
Sean Emery,
Oc Register,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The Lions fall to 4-2 with the defeat while the Chiefs continue to correct their stuttering start to the year by improving to 3-3.—
Ben Morse,
CNN Money,
13 Oct. 2025
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The Tennessee Titans fired head coach Brian Callahan after a 1-5 start through the first six weeks of the 2025 season, the team announced on Monday.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
13 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Since the category’s inception, the tribute has been awarded to projects including Moonlight, The Hurt Locker, Babel, Winter’s Bone, The Favourite, The Trial of the Chicago 7, Fire Island, and most recently, The Piano Lesson, among others.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
16 Oct. 2025
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Chinese contemporary artist Lang brought Hirono to life in 2021 and has released nine series and plenty of non-series characters and collaborations since its inception.—
Katie Decker-Jacoby,
StyleCaster,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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But there is growing anticipation inside and outside the club that the coming weeks could mark the onset of historic change at the Santiago Bernabeu.—
Dermot Corrigan,
New York Times,
16 Oct. 2025
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To learn more about early-onset colorectal cancer, listen to the full episode here.—
Andrea Kane,
CNN Money,
16 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Louisiana Fish Fry, the makers behind many delicious Cajun and Creole cooking products, just announced the launch of a new Dark Roux Gumbo Base, creating a premium, yet quick and convenient, solution for home chefs.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
12 Oct. 2025
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The launch of Quantum System Two follows the deployment last year of our first European quantum data center with multiple installations of our best quantum computers in Germany.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
12 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Commencement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commencement. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
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