v. i. | 1. | To have a beginning or origin; to originate; to start; to begin. |
2. | To begin to be, or to act as. | |
3. | To take a degree at a university. | |
v. t. | 1. | To enter upon; to begin; to perform the first act of. |
Verb | 1. | commence - take the first step or steps in carrying out an action; "We began working at dawn"; "Who will start?"; "Get working as soon as the sun rises!"; "The first tourists began to arrive in Cambodia"; "He began early in the day"; "Let's get down to work now" |
2. | commence - set in motion, cause to start; "The U.S. started a war in the Middle East"; "The Iraqis began hostilities"; "begin a new chapter in your life" | |
3. | commence - get off the ground; "Who started this company?"; "We embarked on an exciting enterprise"; "I start my day with a good breakfast"; "We began the new semester"; "The afternoon session begins at 4 PM"; "The blood shed started when the partisans launched a surprise attack" |