beginning

1. 1

   The act of doing that which begins anything; commencement of an action, state, or space of time; entrance into being or upon a course; the first act, effort, or state of a succession of acts or states.uncountable

2. 2

   That which is begun; a rudiment or element.countableuncountable

3. 3

   That which begins or originates something; the source or first cause.countableuncountable

   • What was the beginning of the dispute?
4. 4

   The initial portion of some extended thing.countableuncountable

   • The author describes the main character’s youth at the beginning of the story.
   • That house is at the beginning of the street.

syn. beginning · birth · font · fount · inauguration · initiation · launch · spring · springtime · onset · origination · youth

ant. conclusion · end · completion · finish

1. 1

   present participle and gerund of beginform-ofgerundparticiple

   • He is beginning to read a new book.

1. 1

   Being the first portion of some extended thing.informalnot-comparable

   • in the beginning paragraph of the chapter
   • in the beginning section of the course