commencement
/kəˈmensmənt/kuh-MEN-smuhnt
/kəˈmɛnsmənt/kuh-MEN-smuhnt
Meaningthe act of beginning
Common meaning: a start
Other meanings: a graduation ceremony
- comwith, together; thoroughlySkeat, Concise Etymological Dictionary (1911), p. 101 · scan
- menceto beginSkeat, Concise Etymological Dictionary (1911), p. 101 · scan
- mentnoun ending: act or result
‘with, together’ + ‘to begin’ → commencement
Sources & notes
Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.
Pronunciation
- UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
- No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
- US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
- No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.
Origin: Formed in English from commence + -ment.
Dictionary: Skeat (1898), COMMENCEH, p.123 · scan
Source words
- initiare Latin · source word “to begin”
Building blocks are an automatic split · open in app