Skip to content
WORDS, MADE CLEAR.
Your everyday English companion

Home/Dictionary/commence
English dictionary

commence Meaning & Definition

/kəˈmɛns/

What Does Commence Mean?

As a verb, commence means To begin, start. It is also used to mean To begin or start. As a noun, it means Beginning; start; commencement.

Commence in Brief

Part of speechverb, noun
Pronunciation/kəˈmɛns/
Synonymsstart, get and begin
Antonymsterminate, cease and end
Pluralcommences
Verb formscommences, commencing, commenced

Commence Definition (Verb)

  1. To begin, start.
  2. To begin or start.

    At dawn we'll commence to drive.

  3. To begin to be, or to act as.
  4. To take a degree at a university.

Commence as a Noun

  1. Beginning; start; commencement.

Synonyms of Commence

Commence synonyms and antonyms →

Antonyms of Commence

Commence in a Sentence

At dawn we'll commence to drive.

Word Forms & Grammar

commence (third-person singular simple present commences, present participle commencing, simple past and past participle commenced)

commence (plural commences)

Words That Rhyme With Commence

Origin of Commence

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).

Common Questions About Commence

Is commence a verb or a noun?

Commence is mainly used as a verb, but it can also be used as a noun.

What is another word for commence?

Close synonyms of commence are start, get and begin. See the full list of commence synonyms and antonyms.

What is the opposite of commence?

Antonyms of commence include terminate, cease, end and stop.

What is the plural of commence?

The plural of commence is commences.

What is the past tense of commence?

The past tense of commence is commenced. The present participle is commencing.

More About Commence On Meaning Stash

More Words Starting With “Comm”

Trending On Meaning Stash This Week