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Be·gin

(bāgĭn), Menachem 1913-1992.

Russian-born Israeli politician. He led (1943-1948) Irgun, the Zionist underground movement in Palestine. After the establishment of Israel, Begin became a political leader known for his hard-line views on the Arabs, but as prime minister (1977-1983) he strove to resolve the Arab-Israel conflict. He shared the 1978 Nobel Peace Prize with Anwar el-Sadat of Egypt.

be·gin

(bĭ-gĭn)

v. be·gan (-găn), be·gun (-gŭn), be·gin·ning, be·gins

v.intr.

1. To perform or undergo the first part of an action; start: I began to email you but got interrupted. The rain began around noon.

2. To come into being: when life began.

3. To do or accomplish something in the least degree. Used in the negative with an infinitive: Those measures do not even begin to address the problem.

4. To say as the first in a series of remarks: "I didn't like the movie," he began.

a. To have as a first element or part: The play begins with a monologue.

b. To have as the lowest price in a range: Those shirts begin at $20.

c. To have as a first position, stage, or job: The restaurant began as a ice-cream parlor. The principal began as a math teacher.

v.tr.

1. To take the first step in doing; start: began work.

2. To cause to come into being; originate: an invention that began a new era.

3. To come first in (a series, for instance): The numeral 1 begins the sequence.

[Middle English biginnen, from Old English beginnan.]

Synonyms: begin , start , commence , launch¹, initiate , inaugurate
These verbs mean to take the initial step in doing something. Begin and start are the most general: The conductor began the program with a medley of waltzes. We started our journey in Montreal.
Commence is a more formal term and often implies that what is beginning is something of seriousness or importance: "ceremoniously brandishing the scalpel with which he was about to commence the apprentice's first lesson in anatomy" (John Gregory Brown).
Launch suggests beginning something with energy and expectation: She looked for a job that could launch her career as a journalist.
Initiate applies to taking the first steps in a process or procedure: I initiated a lawsuit against the driver who hit my car.
Inaugurate often connotes a formal beginning: "The exhibition inaugurated a new era of cultural relations" (Serge Schmemann).

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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