commence

[kuh-mens] / kəˈmɛns /

VERB

start action

Synonyms

STRONGEST

begin inaugurate initiate launch take up

STRONG

arise open originate

WEAK

come into being come into existence embark on enter upon get cracking get going get one's feet wet get show on road hit the ground running jump into kick off lead off start the ball rolling tear into

Antonyms

STRONGEST

close complete conclude end finish stop

WEAK

cease

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Reports indicate SpaceX is targeting a June listing on the Nasdaq stock exchange under the ticker symbol SPCX, with trading expected to commence shortly thereafter.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

Law enforcement agencies should commence a snap review of "leadership structures" and "information sharing arrangements" between teams responsible for counter-terrorism, the inquiry found.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

After several delays, his trial is due to commence in August.

From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026

Before the uprising can commence, the General has to unify the Polish nobility and peasantry to accumulate the muscle needed to beat back Mother Russia.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026

I heard him in a blubbering tone commence the tale of how “that nasty Jane Eyre” had flown at him like a mad cat: he was stopped rather harshly—

From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë

Vocabulary lists containing commence

Bud, Not Buddy

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Essential English Vocabulary, List 1

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List 8

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