commence

commence — verb

1. to begin doing something or to make something begin to happen, used in official,

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveC2
Definition

to begin doing something or to make something begin to happen, used in official, formal, or legal settings

Example

The graduation ceremony will commence at 10 a.m. in the main hall.

intransitive: scheduled event begins formally

Aiko commenced writing her doctoral thesis after three years of lab work.

transitive: commence + -ing verb

Common collocations
  • commence operations
  • commence proceedings
  • commence work
  • commence construction
  • commence legal action
Synonyms
  • begin

    neutral and far more common in everyday speech; CEFR A1

  • start

    similar to 'begin', often used for physical actions and machines; CEFR A1

  • initiate

    more formal, emphasizes the first step in a planned process; CEFR C1

  • launch

    implies introducing something new and significant, like a product or campaign; CEFR B2

Antonyms
  • end

    direct opposite, neutral register; CEFR A1

  • conclude

    formal opposite, used in similar official contexts; CEFR C1

Grammar Patterns

commence + noun phrase

commence + -ing verb

commence (on its own, intransitive)

Usage Note

Commence is a formal alternative to 'begin' or 'start'. It is most common in official announcements, legal documents, academic writing, and ceremonial contexts. Avoid using it for everyday activities — 'start' or 'begin' sound more natural for casual situations.

Common Mistakes

I commenced eating my breakfast at 7 a.m.
I started eating my breakfast at 7 a.m.
'commence' is too formal for routine daily activities.

Word family

  • commencement
    nounC2
  • recommence
    verbC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

Begin and start are the neutral, everyday alternatives to 'commence' — they fit any context from casual to formal. Initiate is more formal than begin/start and emphasizes causing a process to begin, often as the deliberate first step in a planned sequence. Launch adds a sense of introducing something new and significant — a product, campaign, or initiative. Commence sits at the formal end: it rarely appears in conversation and mainly occurs in official announcements, legal documents, academic writing, and ceremonial speeches. For example, a judge commences a trial, but a child begins eating dinner.

begin ↗start ↗initiate ↗launch ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • to commence with
  • to commence on

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchAnglo-FrenchEnglish

The word 'commence' entered English through Anglo-French legal terminology in the 14th century. It comes from Old French 'comencier', which traces back to the Latin verb 'cominitiare' — formed from 'com-' (together) and 'initiare' (to begin), which itself derives from 'initium' (beginning). The historical link to legal and formal usage explains why 'commence' still carries a formal tone today.