beginning

[bih-gin-ing]

noun

1. an act or circumstance of entering upon an action or state.

   the beginning of hostilities.

   Synonyms: inception, inauguration, initiation
   Antonyms: ending

2. 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

3. the first part.

   the beginning of the book; the beginning of the month.

4. Often beginnings. the initial stage or part of anything.

   the beginnings of science.

5. origin; source; first cause.

   A misunderstanding about the rent was the beginning of their quarrel.

adjective

1. just formed.

   a beginning company.

2. first; opening.

   the beginning chapters of a book.

3. basic or introductory.

   beginning Spanish.

4. learning the fundamentals.

   a beginning swimmer.

beginning

/ bɪˈɡɪnɪŋ /

noun

1. a start; commencement

2. (often plural) a first or early part or stage

3. the place where or time when something starts

4. an origin; source

Word History and Origins

Origin of beginning¹

First recorded in 1175–1225, beginning is from the Middle English word beginnung, begonning. See begin, -ing ¹

Example Sentences

She married valet John Bates at the beginning of Season 3 and the couple went through numerous ups and downs in the years that followed, including several miscarriages.

From Los Angeles Times

“We’ve grown so close over the years, as we all have, and that dynamic has been there from the beginning,” Dockery says.

From Los Angeles Times

All told, this is not exactly the start he wanted to what the prime minister described as the beginning of "phase two" of his government at the beginning of the week.

From BBC

"Right at the very beginning, I really wanted to write for theatre," he told BBC Radio 4's John Wilson in 2002.

From BBC

The series defeat is England's first since Harry Brook took charge of the white-ball team at the beginning of the summer, and their fifth in six ODI series since the 2023 World Cup.

From BBC

Related Words

• birth 
• creation 
• dawn 
• inauguration 
• inception 
• introduction 
• onset 
• opening 
• outset 
• starting point www.thesaurus.com
• top 

When To Use

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.