EN

Synonyms for commence

18 synonyms
8 antonyms
1 meaning

verb

Most common

begin start initiate start out

All synonyms

Verb

1. Begin

begin, start, initiate, start out, set about, undertake, inaugurate, enter, get, set out, get on with, get down, introduce, open, take it away, institute, originate

Other

Antonyms

stop, cease, end

All antonyms of commence →

Definitions

v. 1
To begin, start.

Related words

Word family: commencement

Forms

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

Choose the right word

Commence, Commencement, Beginning or Begin?

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

begin Today more and more people begin to use computers.
initiate The prime minister can initiate a vote of confidence.
undertake Whatever we may undertake, diligence is important.

Popularity over time

Word	1850 → 2019	Trend
commence		falling
begin		rising
initiate		steady
undertake		falling
inaugurate		falling

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

By length

3 letters: get¹
4 letters: open², lead¹
5 letters: start¹, begin², enter²
8 letters: initiate⁴
9 letters: institute³, introduce³, undertake³, originate⁴
10 letters: inaugurate⁴

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