beginning

1 of 2

noun

be·​gin·​ning bi-ˈgi-niŋ How to pronounce beginning (audio)
bē-
1
: the point at which something begins : start
It was clear from the beginning that she would win.
2
: the first part
We missed the beginning of the movie.
3
: origin, source
No one remembers what the beginning of the feud was.
4
: a rudimentary stage or early period
usually used in plural
the company's modest beginnings in an old warehouse
She came from humble beginnings.

beginning

2 of 2

adjective

1
: just starting out
a beginning writer
2
a
: being first or the first part
the beginning chapters
b
: introductory
beginning chemistry

Examples of beginning in a Sentence

Noun Go back to the beginning of the song. We were late, so we missed the beginning of the movie. The changes that have been made so far are just the beginning. There are many more changes still to come. He came from humble beginnings. the company's modest beginnings in an old warehouse Adjective the beginning part of the book is a portrait of Europe on the eve of the World War I a course in beginning geology for nonscience majors
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
This year’s peak bloom should coincide with the very beginning of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which runs from March 20 to April 14. Jason Samenow, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024 The beginning of the auction company can be traced back to Alex Cooper, who was born in Letychiv, Ukraine. Tony Roberts, Baltimore Sun, 8 Mar. 2024 While the beginning of the trend might have some high society undertones, it’s become a form of elevated Americana that’s deeply ingrained in the culture. Maggie Gillette, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Mar. 2024 The beginning of the race in Anchorage is considered a ceremonial start. Ben Church, CNN, 7 Mar. 2024 As Paris prepares to host the upcoming Olympic Games, officials at the Louvre are taking a deep dive into the storied event’s beginnings. Julia Binswanger, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024 Washington — President Biden delivered his State of the Union address to Congress on Thursday, where had the chance to frame the beginning stages of the all-but-certain general election rematch with former President Donald Trump. Kaia Hubbard, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2024 View all partners LinkedIn Print In October 2022, Lebanon and Israel signed a maritime border agreement brokered by the U.S., a move interpreted as the beginning of normalizing relations between two countries technically at war. Mireille Rebeiz, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2024 The History of the Tea Towel While tea towels are nearly ubiquitous these days, the tea towel's beginnings were far from humble. Betsy Cribb Watson, Southern Living, 26 Feb. 2024
Adjective
Jamie Haller started her brand during the beginning months of the pandemic in 2020. Talia Abbas, Vogue, 14 Feb. 2024 The very beginning stages can feel very intimidating! Christa Sgobba, SELF, 25 Jan. 2024 Nonetheless, the kickback swept in hard during the beginning months of 1986, and many of the complaints came from Black male artists and thinkers. Scott Hocker, theweek, 7 Jan. 2024 At the very beginning stages of talking to Greta, Tom [Ackerley, Barbie producer], Margot and I went to New York and met with Noah [Baumbach, co-writer] and Greta. Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Dec. 2023 The beginning scene swiftly transitions to a courtroom, where Gary sways the jurors with this same power of persuasion that’s reminiscent of the call and response of the baptist church. Lynnette Nicholas, Essence, 6 Nov. 2023 The very beginning moments of In Utero are Dave clicking his sticks to cue in the rest of the band to start the song. Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 2 Nov. 2023 For the beginning bass fisherman looking to level up the game and try their hand at a casting rod, Duckett’s Silverado Casting rod doubles up as my best bass fishing rod for beginners pick as well. Rob McDonald, Field & Stream, 13 Sep. 2023 Overconsumption of luxury goods reigned throughout the beginning years of the 2000s. Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 12 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'beginning.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English biginning, from gerund of beginnen "to begin"

Adjective

from present participle of begin

First Known Use

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of beginning was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near beginning

Cite this Entry

“Beginning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beginning. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

beginning

noun
be·​gin·​ning
bi-ˈgin-iŋ
1
: the point at which something begins
the beginning of the year
2
: the first part
go back to the beginning of the song
3
: an early stage or period
the beginnings of American history

More from Merriam-Webster on beginning

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!