Definition

1. Verb:
   • To start or commence an action, process, or event; to take the first step in doing something.
   • To come into existence; to have a starting point in time, space, or sequence.
   • To start speaking or uttering something.

Examples of Usage

• Verb:
  • Let's begin the meeting. (We should start the meeting now.)
  • The concert will begin at 8 PM. (The concert's starting point in time is 8 PM.)
  • He cleared his throat and began to speak. (He started speaking.)
  • The path begins just beyond those trees. (The path has its starting point there.)
  • To begin with, I'd like to thank everyone for coming. (First of all, I want to thank you.)

Advanced Usage

• "to begin with": Used to introduce the first point in a list or argument.
  • There are several reasons. To begin with, it's too expensive.
• "begin to see/understand/realize": To start to have a particular feeling, thought, or awareness.
  • I'm beginning to understand the problem.
• "begin + -ing form": To start an ongoing activity.
  • She began learning Spanish last year.
• "begin + to + infinitive": To start to do something.
  • It began to rain.

Variants and Related Words

• Beginning (n): The point in time or space at which something starts.
  • The beginning of the book was exciting.
• Beginner (n): A person who is starting to learn a skill or subject.
  • The course is designed for complete beginners.
• Began (v): The simple past tense of "begin".
  • The movie began an hour ago.
• Begun (v): The past participle of "begin".
  • The project has just begun.

Synonyms

• Start: To begin an action or movement.
• Commence: A more formal synonym for begin.
• Initiate: To cause a process or action to begin.
• Launch: To begin something, especially an official or public activity.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Begin on/upon: To start working on something.
  • They will begin on the construction next week.
• Begin with: To have something as the first element.
  • The alphabet begins with 'A'.

Related Idioms

• Begin the world: (Archaic) To start one's career or independent life.
• Well begun is half done: A good start makes the rest of the task easier.
  • We prepared thoroughly because we know well begun is half done.

Noun

1. Israeli statesman (born in Russia) who (as prime minister of Israel) negotiated a peace treaty with Anwar Sadat (then the president of Egypt) (1913-1992)

Verb

1. begin to speak, understand, read, and write a language
   • She began Russian at an early age
   • We started French in fourth grade
2. achieve or accomplish in the least degree, usually used in the negative
   • This economic measure doesn't even begin to deal with the problem of inflation
   • You cannot even begin to understand the problem we had to deal with during the war
3. begin an event that is implied and limited by the nature or inherent function of the direct object
   • begin a cigar
   • She started the soup while it was still hot
   • We started physics in 10th grade
4. have a beginning characterized in some specified way
   • The novel begins with a murder
   • My property begins with the three maple trees
   • Her day begins with a workout
   • The semester begins with a convocation ceremony
5. have a beginning, of a temporal event
   • WW II began in 1939 when Hitler marched into Poland
   • The company's Asia tour begins next month
6. be the first item or point, constitute the beginning or start, come first in a series
   • The number `one' begins the sequence
   • A terrible murder begins the novel
   • The convocation ceremony officially begins the semester
7. begin to speak or say
   • Now listen, friends, he began
8. set in motion, cause to start
   • The U.S. started a war in the Middle East
   • The Iraqis began hostilities
   • begin a new chapter in your life
9. have a beginning, in a temporal, spatial, or evaluative sense
   • The DMZ begins right over the hill
   • The second movement begins after the Allegro
   • Prices for these homes start at $250,000
10. take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
    • We began working at dawn
    • Who will start?
    • Get working as soon as the sun rises!
    • The first tourists began to arrive in Cambodia
    • He began early in the day
    • Let's get down to work now