Commence Meaning
/kəˈmɛns/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
verbTo begin, start.
verbTo begin or start.
Sentence Examples
The meeting will commence.
The conference will commence in due course.
The meeting is scheduled to commence at noon.
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CEFR Practice Quiz
The ceremony will ____ when the last guests have taken their seats.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English commencen, comencen (also as contracted comsen, cumsen), from Anglo-Norman comencer, from Vulgar Latin *cominitiāre, formed from Latin com- + initiō (whence English initiate).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Here the anthem doth commence:"
— 1601, William Shakespeare, The Phoenix and the Turtle:
"His heaven commences ere the world be past!"
— 1770, Oliver Goldsmith, “The Deserted Village”, in The Miscellaneous Works of Oliver Goldsmith, London: W. Griffin, published 1775, page 164:
"He commenced dressing at top by donning his beaver hat, a very tall one, by the by, and then—still minus his trowsers—he hunted up his boots."
— 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, chapter 4, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC:
"Then he commenced to talk, really talk. and inside of two flaps of a herring's fin he had me mesmerized, like Eben Holt's boy at the town hall show. He talked about the ills of humanity, and the glories of health and Nature and service and land knows what all."
— 1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter IV, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
"The speeches commenced three days of workshops, seminars, and cultural activities."
— 1976 December 11, Thom Willenbecher, quoting Jean O'Leary, “Women's Caucus Quits Gay Academic Union”, in Gay Community News, volume 4, number 24, page 1:
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CEFR Practice Quiz
The ceremony will ____ when the last guests have taken their seats.