as in beginning
the point at which something begins
there was a large turnout at the commencement of the conference, but the numbers dwindled as it progressed
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Recent Examples of commencement
Here's a look at which celebrities will be giving commencement speeches in 2026.
—
Melina Khan, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026
With dozens of memorable movie and television performances over the decades, Winkler is returning to Emerson to deliver a commencement address to the school's graduating class on May 9.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
Jason Reitman has been set to deliver the commencement address during this year’s graduation ceremony for the USC School of Cinematic Arts.
—Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2026
Biden, an undergraduate alum of the University of Delaware, delivered the commencement address at his law school in 1994, 2002, 2006 and 2016.
—Max Rego, The Hill, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for commencement
Melina Khan, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026
With dozens of memorable movie and television performances over the decades, Winkler is returning to Emerson to deliver a commencement address to the school's graduating class on May 9.
—Tommy McArdle, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
Jason Reitman has been set to deliver the commencement address during this year’s graduation ceremony for the USC School of Cinematic Arts.
—Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 14 Apr. 2026
Biden, an undergraduate alum of the University of Delaware, delivered the commencement address at his law school in 1994, 2002, 2006 and 2016.
—Max Rego, The Hill, 14 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for commencement
Recent Examples of Synonyms for commencement
Noun
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While the discourse was less frequent at the beginning of her weight-loss journey, the rise of GLP-1s has meant that more people are flocking to her page to commiserate and strategize.—
Laya Neelakandan,
CNBC,
2 May 2026
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How can the Magic miss 23 straight shots at the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth?—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 May 2026
Noun
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But with no other damage done, Weathers impressed his teammates in his first start as a father.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
26 Apr. 2026
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Greenlaw signed a three-year contract with Denver last season in free agency, but was released after playing in eight games with seven starts due to injuries.—
Jerry McDonald,
Mercury News,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Tasos Katopodis / Getty Images Since its inception, presidents have frequented the Washington Hilton.—
Katrina Kaufman,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
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According to Powerball, the jackpot has been hit almost 200 times since the lottery's inception in 1992.—
Fernando Cervantes Jr,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Indeed, emerging evidence suggests that early detection and aggressive treatment of psychiatric symptoms may improve long-term outcomes by delaying the onset of clinical neurodegeneration and mitigating the cumulative biological stress that accelerates brain aging.—
Eric J. Nestler,
STAT,
28 Apr. 2026
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Now, three years after the initial onset of symptoms, Mollie uses a wheelchair and crutches daily and was forced to move in with their father.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The business started booming after the launch of ChatGPT in late 2022, and the subsequent raising of $10 billion in equity from Microsoft.—
Ashley Capoot,
CNBC,
2 May 2026
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Shin’s photographs are of SpaceX rocket launches.—
Olivia Kan-Sperling,
Artforum,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Commencement.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/commencement. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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