beginning

1 of 2

noun

be·​gin·​ning bi-ˈgi-niŋ How to pronounce beginning (audio)
bē-
1
: the point at which something begins : start
It was clear from the beginning that she would win.
2
: the first part
We missed the beginning of the movie.
3
: origin, source
No one remembers what the beginning of the feud was.
4
: a rudimentary stage or early period
usually used in plural
the company's modest beginnings in an old warehouse
She came from humble beginnings.

beginning

2 of 2

adjective

1
: just starting out
a beginning writer
2
a
: being first or the first part
the beginning chapters
b
: introductory
beginning chemistry

Examples of beginning in a Sentence

Noun Go back to the beginning of the song. We were late, so we missed the beginning of the movie. The changes that have been made so far are just the beginning. There are many more changes still to come. He came from humble beginnings. the company's modest beginnings in an old warehouse Adjective the beginning part of the book is a portrait of Europe on the eve of the World War I a course in beginning geology for nonscience majors
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The Ticket Act, which is currently being considered in the United States Senate, requires ticket sellers to clearly and prominently disclose at the beginning of the transaction. Beck Andrew Salgado, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025 The Gate 5 project has been under construction since the beginning of the year. Alysa Guffey, IndyStar, 29 July 2025
Adjective
Back from holiday after a month away, John Oliver wasted no time in getting down to brass tacks, spending the beginning 10 minutes of Last Week Tonight addressing Donald Trump‘s desperate attempts to redirect national conversation away from the release of the Jeffrey Epstein files. Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 27 July 2025 While the Finicky Table is still in the very beginning stages of development, Gaddy is excited to create a place where guests can come together and create their own food memories. Charlotte Observer, 11 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for beginning

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English biginning, from gerund of beginnen "to begin"

Adjective

from present participle of begin

First Known Use

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of beginning was in the 12th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Beginning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beginning. Accessed 2 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

beginning

noun
be·​gin·​ning
bi-ˈgin-iŋ
1
: the point at which something begins
the beginning of the year
2
: the first part
go back to the beginning of the song
3
: an early stage or period
the beginnings of American history

More from Merriam-Webster on beginning

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!