DIMENSIONS: MEASURE / Proportion
R E F E R E N C E S
Beginning n. 1. act or circumstance of entering upon an action or state. 2. the point of time or space at which anything begins: the beginning of the Christian Era. 3. Often beginnings. the first part of initial stage of anything: the beginnings of science. 4. origin; source; first cause: A misunderstanding was the beginning of their quarrel.
-Syn. 1. initiation, inauguration, inception. 2. start, onset.
-Ant. 1. ending. 2. end.
Begin v.i. 1. to proceed to perform the first or earliest part of some action: commence or start. 2. to come into existence; originate: The custom began during the Civil War. -v.t. 3. To proceed to perform the first or earliest part of [some action]: Begin the job tomorrow. 4. to originate; be the originator of: Civic leaders began the reform movement. [ME beginn[en], OE beginnan = be- BE- + -ginnan to begin, perh. orig. to open, akin to Yawn] -Syn. 3. Begin, Commence, Initiate, Start [when followed by noun or gerund] refer to setting into motion or progress sometihng that continues for some time. Begin is the common term: to begin knitting a sweater. Commence is a more formal word, often suggesting a more prolonged or elaborate beginning: to commence proceedings in court. Initiate implies an active and often ingenious first act in a new field: to initate a new procedure. Start means to make a first move or to set out on a course of action: to start paving a street. 4. inaugurate, initiate. -Ant. 1. end.
[Urdang, Laurence, ed. Random House Dictionary of The English Language. New York: Random House, 1968.]
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