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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
For example, in the experiment, oaths were more effective when they were placed at the end, just before participants reported their income, rather than at the very beginning of the game. Iese Business School, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025 Like Thomas [Bangalter] did help us at the very beginning on a couple of things, doing pre-mastering. Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
Well, the beginning days of spring can be cold, too. Alyssa Grabinski, People.com, 8 Mar. 2025 Some of the efforts being eyed by hardline Republicans are focused on the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) workers, which DOGE — the brainchild of billionaire Trump adviser Elon Musk — has sought to dismantle since the beginning days of the Trump administration. Mychael Schnell, The Hill, 28 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for beginning

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

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Cite this Entry

“Beginning.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beginning. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

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

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