commence
verb
com·mence
kə-ˈmen(t)s 
commenced; commencing
: to enter upon : begin
commence proceedings
commencer
noun
Synonyms
Examples of commence in a Sentence
Dear God, I thought, I've been infected by an earworm. My friend the Longhair says that's what you call songs that burrow into your head and commence chewing your brains.
—
Stephen King, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Apr./1 May 2009
He thereupon commenced giving me this fantastically boring lecture about how the only reason I want a stuffed chicken is because they look so good in a shop window, and that the moment I received one I'd start dreaming up ways to ditch it.
—Douglas Coupland, Generation X, 1991
The policy would commence not only with the limiting of permits for the building of hotels and boats but with supervision—through expert architectural advice—of the construction of these boats and hotels …
—William Styron, This Quiet Dust and Other Writings, (1953) 1982
"Why shoot, I thought you wanted to be a lawyer, you've already commenced going to court." The ladies laughed again.
—Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, 1960
I have commenced two letters to send you before this, both of which displeased me before I got half done, and so I tore them up.
—Abraham Lincoln, letter, 4 May 1837
The festivities will commence with a parade.
Their contract commences in January.
The court commenced criminal proceedings.
The country has commenced preparations for war.
Stephen King, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Apr./1 May 2009
He thereupon commenced giving me this fantastically boring lecture about how the only reason I want a stuffed chicken is because they look so good in a shop window, and that the moment I received one I'd start dreaming up ways to ditch it.
—Douglas Coupland, Generation X, 1991
The policy would commence not only with the limiting of permits for the building of hotels and boats but with supervision—through expert architectural advice—of the construction of these boats and hotels …
—William Styron, This Quiet Dust and Other Writings, (1953) 1982
"Why shoot, I thought you wanted to be a lawyer, you've already commenced going to court." The ladies laughed again.
—Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, 1960
I have commenced two letters to send you before this, both of which displeased me before I got half done, and so I tore them up.
—Abraham Lincoln, letter, 4 May 1837
The festivities will commence with a parade.
Their contract commences in January.
The court commenced criminal proceedings.
The country has commenced preparations for war.
Recent Examples on the Web
Their An Evening with Jagged Edge: 25 Years of ‘J.E. Heartbreak’ anniversary tour, produced by Live Nation Urban, commences on Wednesday, Mar. 26 in Dallas.
—Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 4 Feb. 2025
Davis’ final touchdown at Arrowhead Stadium was supposed to be the dagger in the Chiefs’ hopeful return to the AFC Championship, as there were just 13 seconds left on the fourth-quarter clock when the Bills’ kickoff commenced.
—Scott Thompson, Fox News, 3 Feb. 2025
Elektra had a pre-run of shows at the Theatre Royal from Jan. 13-18 before heading to the Duke of York’s Theatre — where the production will commence on Feb. 5, following previews starting Jan. 24.
—Brenton Blanchet, People.com, 1 Feb. 2025
The Year of the Snake, which commenced Wednesday on Lunar New Year, is historically a weak period for stocks, according to data from Mark Hackett, chief market strategist at Nationwide.
—Lisa Kailai Han,alex Harring, CNBC, 30 Jan. 2025
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Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 4 Feb. 2025
Davis’ final touchdown at Arrowhead Stadium was supposed to be the dagger in the Chiefs’ hopeful return to the AFC Championship, as there were just 13 seconds left on the fourth-quarter clock when the Bills’ kickoff commenced.
—Scott Thompson, Fox News, 3 Feb. 2025
Elektra had a pre-run of shows at the Theatre Royal from Jan. 13-18 before heading to the Duke of York’s Theatre — where the production will commence on Feb. 5, following previews starting Jan. 24.
—Brenton Blanchet, People.com, 1 Feb. 2025
The Year of the Snake, which commenced Wednesday on Lunar New Year, is historically a weak period for stocks, according to data from Mark Hackett, chief market strategist at Nationwide.
—Lisa Kailai Han,alex Harring, CNBC, 30 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for commence
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Cite this Entry
“Commence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commence. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.
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Etymology
Middle English comencen "to begin," from early French comencer (same meaning), probably from a Latin word cominitiare "to begin," from com- "with, together" and initiare "to begin" — related to initiate
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