EN

Synonyms for begin

22 synonyms
8 antonyms

verb

Most common

start commence start out set about

All synonyms

Verb

start, commence, start out, set about, initiate, originate, open, arise, get, prepare, go, get on with, be able to, enter formal, set out, get down, introduce, take it away, inaugurate, engage in, dawn, institute

Antonyms

stop, end, finish

All antonyms of begin →

Definitions

v. 1
To start, to initiate or take the first step into something.
The program begins at 9 o’clock on the dot.

Related words

Word family: beginner beginning
Phrases: to begin with begin upon

Forms

Past participle: begun
e.g. begun → started, commenced, initiated, originated…

Choose the right word

Begin, Commencement, Beginning or Commence?

The Latin commencement is more formal than the Saxon beginning, as the verb commence, is more formal than begin.

J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)

Example sentences

start As soon as it gets dark, the fireworks will start.
commence When will you commence the construction work?

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
begin		rising
start		rising
commence		falling

Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.

By length

2 letters: go¹
3 letters: get¹
4 letters: open², dawn¹
5 letters: start¹, enter², arise²
7 letters: prepare²
8 letters: initiate⁴, commence²
9 letters: institute³, introduce³, originate⁴
10 letters: inaugurate⁴

The small number after each word is its number of syllables (open² = 2 syllables).

In other languages

Français: débuter
Italiano: cominciare
Español: empezar
Deutsch: anfangen
Català: començar