Commence
/kəˈmɛns/
Definitions
To begin or start something.
/kəˈmɛns/
To begin; to start.
The meeting will commence shortly.
💡 Simply: Imagine a race. 'Commence' means the starting gun has fired, and everyone begins running!
👶 For kids: To start something.
More Examples
Let's commence our journey.
How It's Used
"The ceremony will commence at noon."
"The trial is scheduled to commence next week."
Idioms & expressions
commencement ceremony
A formal ceremony marking the beginning of something, especially graduation.
"The commencement ceremony was held in the university's main hall."
From Latin *comminisci, meaning "to begin together". It entered English in the 14th century.
Historically, 'commence' was used more frequently in formal writing and legal contexts. Its usage has decreased somewhat in modern informal settings.
Memory tip
Think of 'com' (together) and 'mence' (to begin) - starting something together.