com·mence   (kə-měns')    v.   com·menced, com·menc·ing, com·menc·es v.   tr. To begin; start. v.   intr. To enter upon or have a beginning; start. See Synonyms at begin. [Middle English commencen, from Old French comencier, from Vulgar Latin *cominitiāre : Latin com-, intensive pref.; see com- + Late Latin initiāre, to begin (from Latin initium, beginning; see ei- in Indo-European roots).] com·menc'er n.

Commence

Com*mence"\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Commenced; p. pr. & vb. n. Commencing.] [F. commencer, OF. comencier, fr. L. com- + initiare to begin. See Initiate.]

1. To have a beginning or origin; to originate; to start; to begin.

Here the anthem doth commence. --Shak.

His heaven commences ere the world be past. --Goldsmith.

2. To begin to be, or to act as. [Archaic]

We commence judges ourselves. --Coleridge.

3. To take a degree at a university. [Eng.]

I question whether the formality of commencing was used in that age. --Fuller.

commence