- present participle of begin.
beginning
Americannoun
-
beginnings
plural
-
an act or circumstance of entering upon an action or state.
the beginning of hostilities.
- Synonyms:
- inception, inauguration, initiation
- Antonyms:
- ending
-
the point of time or space at which anything begins.
the beginning of the Christian era; the beginning of the route.
- Synonyms:
- emergence, onset, outset, commencement, start
- Antonyms:
- end
-
the first part.
the beginning of the book; the beginning of the month.
-
Often beginnings. the initial stage or part of anything.
the beginnings of science.
-
origin; source; first cause.
A misunderstanding about the rent was the beginning of their quarrel.
adjective
-
just formed.
a beginning company.
-
first; opening.
the beginning chapters of a book.
-
basic or introductory.
beginning Spanish.
-
learning the fundamentals.
a beginning swimmer.
noun
-
a start; commencement
-
(often plural) a first or early part or stage
-
the place where or time when something starts
-
an origin; source
Usage
Spelling tips for beginning The word beginning is hard to spell for two reasons. It doesn't simply combine the base word (begin) with the suffix -ing, as is done in other easy-to-remember words that end in -ing, like starting and talking. Also, it can be tempting to use a double g (beggining) instead of a double n. How to spell beginning: To spell beginning, you take the base word begin and add an n at the end. Then, add the suffix -ing. Why do you need an extra n? Because you should begin right Now.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of beginning
First recorded in 1175–1225, beginning is from the Middle English word beginnung, begonning. See begin, -ing 1
Explanation
The beginning is the first part or section of something, or the place where it starts. You watch the opening credits at the beginning of a movie. "In the beginning," says the beginning of the Bible, "God created the heavens and the earth." Beginning can mean the act of starting something (the day after Thanksgiving is the beginning of the Christmas shopping season), or it can mean the time when something will start (Beginning at noon, all Christmas ornaments will go on sale.) Beginning can also refer to the origin of something, its root or source, as the beginning of the Mississippi River is Lake Itasca, Minnesota.
Vocabulary lists containing beginning
Commonly Misspelled Words, List 3
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Common Core Grade 6, List 3
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Common Core Grade 5, List 3
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
A: This is the beginning of a pretty chaotic period, given the abilities of the advanced models.
From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2026
An influential Labour MP told me: "The Budget has to be the beginning of the future story."
From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026
Their good friends Lily Knight and Steve Hofvendahl, who lived two doors away for a quarter of a century, are beginning a new chapter of their own.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026
The next wave, known as inference computing, is just beginning, according to Smith.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
But that was only the beginning of my troubles.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
But underneath what seems promising, the beginnings of empathy and maybe healing, there’s something performative and calculated in this fast bond.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
The film takes its time establishing Matt as a grateful and humble fellow who remains grounded by his modest beginnings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026
"I had very limited resources. I didn't have any investors behind me. I come from very humble beginnings."
From BBC ● Oct. 13, 2026
Those bubbles could expand away from one another while new regions undergo their own Big Bang-like beginnings.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 28, 2026
The excavations of the Antikythera shipwreck, in 1900, marked the beginnings of underwater excavations carried out in what is regarded as a technologically primitive manner.
From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
