COMMENCEMENT | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary
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English (UK)

Meaning of commencement in English

commencement
noun
uk
/kəˈmens.mənt/ us
/kəˈmens.mənt/
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[ C or U ] formal
the beginning of something:
Would passengers please turn off their mobile phones before the commencement of the flight.
Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples
the start of something
  • beginningLet's go back to the beginning. Can you tell me when you arrived at the crime scene?
  • startI didn't like him from the very start.
  • endThis is it – the end of the tour.
  • openingThe opening of the ceremony was marred by protest.
  • commencementWhat is the commencement date of their contract?
  • kick-offWhat time is the kick-off for the banquet and show?
See more results »
[ C ] US
a ceremony at which students formally receive their degrees
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Beginnings and starts
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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:
(Definition of commencement from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

commencement | American Dictionary

commencement
noun [ C/U ]
us
/kəˈmens·mənt/
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fml the beginning of something:
the Senate's commencement of closed-door deliberations
A commencement is also a ceremony at which students formally receive their diplomas (= documents to show they have successfully completed their studies).
(Definition of commencement from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of commencement

commencement
The reverse also happens; and very plausible schemes with very pleasing commencements have often shameful and lamentable conclusions.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
Members still enjoy freedom from arrest for a period extending from 40 days before the commencement of a session to 40 days after it.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
Participants suggested that students should be directed to take realistic streams of study at the commencement of their programmes.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
At its commencement in 1997, it was rare to find musical uses of technologies within schools that challenged established practices.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
Moreover, the rights of subjects should be protected, and issues related to justice addressed before and after the commencement of clinical trials.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
All patients received antiinflammatory agents, and echocardiography was performed within 10 days of diagnosis and commencement of treatment.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
I had been teaching many of the students for upwards of six years prior to the commencement of data collection.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
At the commencement of the emergence trial, germinated seeds (radicle protrusion of 1-2 mm) were selected from each treatment and planted.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
On average, there were 3-4 weight measurements taken for each animal prior to the commencement of experimental feeding available for each animal.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
Twenty-four practice trials were given to the participants prior to the commencement of the actual testing.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
Whatever the solution, it should be resolved prior to the commencement of the review.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
By convention, intervals were allocated to the age and parity of women at the commencement of an interval.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
There was fibrous interruption at the commencement of the right bundle branch, which was considered the basis of the bundle branch block.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
Finally, if a definitive diagnosis is established sooner, it is possible that morbidity is reduced due to earlier commencement of appropriate therapies.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
A block of 15 practice trials was administered to each subject prior to commencement of the test trials.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
See all examples of commencement
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

Collocations with commencement

commencement

These are words often used in combination with commencement.

Click on a collocation to see more examples of it.

commencement address
Heath (1980) cited an 1829 handbook and an 1846 commencement address that criticize the use of the nominative in this environment.
From the Cambridge English Corpus
commencement ceremony
Students recapitulate the oath at the commencement ceremony upon their graduation.
From
Wikipedia
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
commencement exercise
He was chosen by the faculty to speak at his class's commencement exercise.
From
Wikipedia
This example is from Wikipedia and may be reused under a CC BY-SA license.
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
See all collocations with commencement
What is the pronunciation of commencement?
 

Translations of commencement

in Chinese (Traditional)
開始, 開端, 學位頒授典禮…
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in Chinese (Simplified)
开始, 开端, 学位授予典礼…
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in Spanish
comienzo, (ceremonia de) graduación…
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in Portuguese
começo, princípio, início…
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in more languages
in Japanese
in French
in Turkish
in Catalan
in Dutch
in Arabic
in Czech
in Danish
in Indonesian
in Thai
in Vietnamese
in Polish
in Swedish
in Malay
in German
in Norwegian
in Korean
in Ukrainian
in Italian
開始…
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commencement, remise des diplômes…
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başlama, başlangıç, diploma töreni…
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començament…
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aanvang, diploma-uitreiking, uitreiking van bul…
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بِداية…
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začátek, datum vzniku, promoce…
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påbegyndelse, årsafslutning, translokation…
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awal, wisuda…
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การเริ่ม, การพบปะของผู้สำเร็จการศึกษา…
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sự bắt đầu, lễ phát bằng…
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rozpoczęcie, promocja…
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början, begynnelse, promotion…
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permulaan, konvokesyen…
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der Beginn, die Abschlussfeier…
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begynnelse, eksamensfest, avslutning for avgangselever/-studenter…
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시작…
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початок, церемонія присудження університетських ступенів…
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inizio, apertura, (cerimonia del conferimento delle lauree)…
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commemoration
commemorative
commence
commenced
commencement
commencing
commend
commendable
commendably

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