begin start o commence -

  • 1start — commence, begin, start 1. Commence is a more formal Latinate word for begin or start. Fowler s advice (1926) was to use begin and its derivatives except when these seem incongruous (which is in fact rare); occasions when commence is more… …

    Modern English usage

  • 2begin — commence, begin, start 1. Commence is a more formal Latinate word for begin or start. Fowler s advice (1926) was to use begin and its derivatives except when these seem incongruous (which is in fact rare); occasions when commence is more… …

    Modern English usage

  • 3commence — commence, begin, start 1. Commence is a more formal Latinate word for begin or start. Fowler s advice (1926) was to use begin and its derivatives except when these seem incongruous (which is in fact rare); occasions when commence is more… …

    Modern English usage

  • 4begin — verb (began; begun; beginning) Etymology: Middle English beginnen, from Old English beginnan; akin to Old High German biginnan to begin, Old English onginnan Date: before 12th century intransitive verb 1. to do the first part of an action …

    New Collegiate Dictionary

  • 5start — [stärt] vi. [ME sterten < OE styrtan & ON sterta, akin to Ger stürzen, to overthrow < IE * sterd < base * (s)ter , stiff, walk stiffly > STARE, STARVE, STORK] 1. to make a sudden, involuntary or unexpected movement, as when surprised; …

    English World dictionary

  • 6commence — [kə mens′] vi., vt. commenced, commencing [ME commencen < OFr comencier < VL * cominitiare, orig., to initiate as priest, consecrate < L com , together + initiare, to INITIATE] to begin; start; originate SYN. BEGIN commencer n …

    English World dictionary

  • 7commence — c.1300, from O.Fr. comencier to begin, start (10c., Mod.Fr. commencer), from V.L. *cominitiare, originally to initiate as priest, consecrate, from L. com together (see COM (Cf. com )) + initiare to initiate, from initium (see INITIAL (Cf …

    Etymology dictionary

  • 8commence — *begin, start, initiate, inaugurate Analogous words: institute, *found, organize, establish Contrasted words: finish, complete, conclude, terminate, end, *close …

    New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • 9commence — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) v. See beginning. II (Roget s IV) v. Syn. start, enter upon, originate, initiate; see begin 1 , 2 . See Synonym Study at begin . III (Roget s 3 Superthesaurus) v. begin, start, initiate, launch, open.… …

    English dictionary for students

  • 10commence — v 1. begin, start, go ahead, Inf. fire away, Inf. blast away; embark, set sail, get going, get a move on, Inf. take off, Inf. blast off, start off, start out, be off, move out, get the ball rolling, get [s.t.] off the ground, hit the trail, hit… …

    A Note on the Style of the synonym finder