Commencement
/kəˈmɛnsmənt/
Definitions
The act of beginning something; the start.
/kəˈmɛnsmənt/
The beginning or start of something.
The commencement of the school year was marked by a special assembly.
💡 Simply: It's like the kickoff, the starting gun, the 'let's go!' moment of something big, like a graduation or a trial. Imagine everyone gathering excitedly for the beginning of a fantastic event!
👶 For kids: The start of something.
More Examples
The commencement of hostilities marked the beginning of the war.
How It's Used
"The commencement ceremony was held in the university's largest auditorium."
"The commencement of the trial was delayed due to unforeseen circumstances."
Idioms & expressions
at the commencement of
At the beginning of something.
"At the commencement of the meeting, the chairman welcomed everyone."
From Middle English *commencement, from Old French commencement, from comencer 'to begin'.
Historically, 'commencement' was used more broadly than today, often referring to the beginning of any important event.
Memory tip
Think 'commence' (to begin) + 'ment' (a noun suffix).