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begin

[ bih-gin ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

verb (used without object)

began begun beginning

to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of some action; commence; start:
The story begins with their marriage.
Antonyms:
to come into existence; arise; originate:
The custom began during the Civil War.

verb (used with object)

began, begun, beginning.

to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of (some action):
Begin the job tomorrow.
to originate; be the originator of:
civic leaders who began the reform movement.
Synonyms: , ,
to succeed to the slightest extent in (followed by an infinitive):
The money won't even begin to cover expenses.

Begin

[ bey-gin ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

�ѱ�·�Բ�·�� [m, uh, -, nah, -, kh, uh, m], 1913–92, Israeli political leader, born in Poland: prime minister 1977–83; Nobel Peace Prize 1978.

Begin

/ ˈ��ɛɡɪ�� /

noun

BeginMenachem19131992MIsraeliPolishPOLITICS: statesmanPOLITICS: prime minister Menachem (məˈnɑːkɪm). 1913–92, Israeli statesman, born in Poland. In Palestine after 1942, he became a leader of the militant Zionists; prime minister of Israel (1977–83); Nobel peace prize jointly with Sadat 1978. In 1979 he concluded the Camp David treaty with Anwar Sadat of Egypt

begin

/ ��ɪˈɡɪ�� /

verb

to start or cause to start (something or to do something)
to bring or come into being for the first time; arise or originate
to start to say or speak
used with a negative to have the least capacity (to do something)
he couldn't begin to compete with her
to begin with
in the first place

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Word History and Origins

Origin of begin¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English beginnen, Old English beginnan, equivalent to be- be- + -ginnan “to begin,” perhaps originally “to open,” akin to yawn

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Word History and Origins

Origin of begin¹

Old English beginnan ; related to Old High German biginnan , Gothic duginnan

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Idioms and Phrases

charity begins at home
(begin to) see the light
to start (begin) with

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Synonym Study

Begin, commence, initiate, start (when followed by noun or gerund) refer to setting into motion or progress something that continues for some time. Begin is the common term: to begin knitting a sweater. Commence is a more formal word, often suggesting a more prolonged or elaborate beginning: to commence proceedings in court. Initiate implies an active and often ingenious first act in a new field: to initiate a new procedure. Start means to make a first move or to set out on a course of action: to start paving a street.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

“�� initially presented itself mostly as loss began to open doors … and make possible many things that might have never happened otherwise. I really hope that might be the case for some of you.”

From

Police soon began receiving 911 calls from neighbors who spotted the suspects trying to hide in backyards.

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The largest began in a close-knit community with low vaccination rates in Texas’ Gaines County, adjacent to New Mexico.

From

According to the UN, nearly 13 million people have been forced from their homes since the fighting began in 2023, while an estimated 150,000 people have been killed.

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The department “will begin by thoroughly examining UC Berkeley’s apparent failure to fully and accurately disclose significant funding received from foreign sources,” U.S.

From

Related Words

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Beghard beginner

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