begin
4 ENTRIES FOUND:
Britannica Dictionary definition of BEGIN
1
a
:
to do the first part of an action
:
to start doing something
[+ object]
-
They will begin construction on the new school soon.
-
I got the job and I begin work on Monday!
-
She'll begin the lecture at 10.
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He plans to begin the project later this week.
-
They both began their careers at the local newspaper.
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The university began accepting applications in November.
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I had just begun eating when the phone rang.
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She interrupted as soon as I began to speak.
[no object]
-
He began by showing some photographs of his trip. = He began with some photographs of his trip.
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Now that I've begun, I'll go on till I finish.
-
You'll have to begin again. [=start over]
b
[+ object]
:
to start to work on, produce, or give attention to (something)
-
I began the quilt last month.
-
I began (reading) the book last week.
-
Schubert began more symphonies than he finished.
c
[+ object]
:
to cause (something) to start
-
The chairman began the meeting at noon.
-
They began [=founded] the state's first traveling theater troupe.
d
[+ object]
:
to start to have a feeling, thought, etc.
— usually followed by to + verb
— sometimes + -ing verb
-
She began to feel dizzy soon after the accident.
-
I'm beginning to think the oversight was intentional.
-
She began feeling dizzy soon after the accident.
2
:
to start to happen, to exist, to be done, etc.
[no object]
-
The meeting began [=started] in the morning and finished/ended at noon.
-
Construction on the new school will begin soon.
-
Our problems were just beginning.
-
When does the play begin?
-
The rain began around noon.
-
Let the games begin.
-
The American Civil War began in 1861 and ended in 1865.
-
His passion for music began at the age of six when he had his first piano lessons.
[+ object]
— followed by to + verb
-
It's beginning [=starting] to rain.
-
The flowers on the trees are beginning to bloom.
3
[no object]
a
:
to have a particular starting point
:
to start at a specified place or in a specified way
-
“Where does the river begin?” “It begins in the mountains to the north.”
-
The meeting began on a positive note.
-
The meeting began with an announcement. [=an announcement was made at the start of the meeting]
-
The English alphabet begins with A and ends with Z.
-
Each sentence should begin with a capital.
-
The season began with our team in last place but finished (up) with us in first place.
-
Her long career in advertising began at a small firm in Chicago.
-
Prices for the hotel rooms begin at 85 dollars. [=85 dollars is the lowest price for a hotel room; some rooms cost more than 85 dollars]
-
The road begins at the bottom of the hill and ends at the top of the hill.
b
:
to have a specified quality, identity, job, etc., at the start
— + as
-
What began [=started] as a simple idea has become a complicated project.
-
The town began as a small farming community.
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He began as a clerk [=he was a clerk when he started working] and eventually became president of the company.
4
[+ object]
:
to start speaking by saying (something)
-
“Allow me to introduce myself,” he began.
5
— used in an exaggerated way to say that something is not possible
-
I can't even begin to describe how good the food was. [=the food was very good]
-
I can't begin to tell you how grateful I am for all your help. [=I am very grateful for all your help]
-
I can hardly begin to thank you for all you've done.
to begin with
1
:
as the first thing to be thought about or considered
-
“I don't think we should buy the car.” “Why not?” “To begin with, I'm not sure we can afford it.”
2
:
at the start
:
before the current time or situation
-
She has lost a lot of weight, and she wasn't very heavy to begin with.
-
She didn't like her job to begin with, [=at first, initially] but she got used to it eventually.
