Synonyms for commencement
Most common
All synonyms
Noun
1. Beginning — the first existence of anything; act or fact of commencing; the beginning
beginning, start, inauguration, first, outset, opening, head, initiation, onset, starting time, origin, show time, dawn, entrance, kickoff, inception, rise, get-go informal, root, infancy, threshold, source
Other
Definitions
- n. 1
The first existence of anything; act or fact of commencing; the beginning.
The time of Henry VII nearly coincides with the commencement of what is termed modern history.
Related words
- Word family
- commence
Forms
- Plural
- commencements → beginnings, starts, inaugurations, firsts…
Choose the right word
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
- beginning Will we be in time for the beginning of the party?
- opening I hereby declare the opening of the Olympic Games.
- inauguration Damiano welcomed his guests to an inauguration.
- outset Tom and Mary disliked each other from the outset.
- graduation Mennad celebrated his graduation from high school.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| commencement | falling | |
| beginning | steady | |
| opening | steady | |
| inauguration | falling | |
| outset | steady | |
| graduation | steady |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 4 letters
- head1, rise1, root1, dawn1
- 5 letters
- first1, start1, onset2
- 6 letters
- source1, origin3, outset2
- 7 letters
- opening3, kickoff2, infancy3
- 8 letters
- entrance2
- 9 letters
- beginning3, threshold2, inception3
- 10 letters
- graduation4, initiation5
- 12 letters
- inauguration5
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (onset2 = 2 syllables).