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commence

 - 3 dictionary results

com⋅mence

  [kuh-mens]
Use commence in a Sentence
–verb (used without object), verb (used with object), -menced, -menc⋅ing.
to begin; start.
Origin:
1250–1300; ME commencen < AF, MF comencer < VL *cominitiāre, equiv. to L com- com- + initiāre to begin; see initiate

Related forms:
com⋅mence⋅a⋅ble, adjective
com⋅menc⋅er, noun

Synonyms:
originate, inaugurate. See begin.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To commence
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.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

commence 
1314, from O.Fr. comencier, from V.L. *cominitiare, orig. "to initiate as priest, consecrate," from L. com- "together" + initiare "to initiate." The academic sense of commencement "action of taking a full degree," is in M.E.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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