Beginning

/bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ/

nounBeginner🔥Very CommonTime
2 meanings1 idiom/phrase2 questions

Definitions

2 meanings
1

The point at which something starts.

/bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ/

nounneutralBeginner
Time

The point in time or space at which something starts.

The beginning of the race was chaotic.

💡 Simply: The start.

More Examples

2

She marked the beginning of her journal with a happy drawing.

How It's Used

General

"The beginning of the movie was slow."

Narrative

"The book started with a gripping beginning."

2

The first part or stage.

/bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ/

nounneutralBeginner
Stage

The initial part or stage of something.

The beginning of his career was quite promising.

💡 Simply: The first part.

More Examples

2

The beginning of the construction project will involve site preparation.

How It's Used

Education

"The beginning chapters of the textbook cover basic concepts."

Tip:The initial 'begin'ning of a process.

Idioms & expressions

from the beginning

From the start; from the very beginning.

"I knew from the beginning it wouldn't work."

From Old English *beginnan, from be- + gin(n)an "to yawn, gape, open". The modern meaning evolved from an earlier sense of "starting to exist or happen."

The word 'beginning' has consistently referred to the start of something, with little change in meaning across centuries.

Memory tip

Think of a 'begin'ning, as in the start of something.

Word Origin

LanguageOld English
Original meaning

"to yawn, gape, open (implying the opening or start of something)"

at the beginningin the beginningfrom the beginningthe beginning of

Common misspellings

beginingbegenning

Usage

70%Spoken
30%Written