inception

noun

in·​cep·​tion in-ˈsep-shən 

: an act, process, or instance of beginning : commencement

Synonyms

• alpha
• baseline
• beginning
• birth
• commencement
• dawn
• day one
• genesis
• get-go
• git-go
• incipience
• incipiency
• kickoff
• launch
• morning
• nascence
• nascency
• onset
• outset
• start
• threshold

Choose the Right Synonym for inception

origin, source, inception, root mean the point at which something begins its course or existence.

origin applies to the things or persons from which something is ultimately derived and often to the causes operating before the thing itself comes into being.

an investigation into the origin of baseball

source applies more often to the point where something springs into being.

the source of the Nile

the source of recurrent trouble

inception stresses the beginning of something without implying causes.

the business has been a success since its inception

root suggests a first, ultimate, or fundamental source often not easily discerned.

the real root of the violence

Examples of inception in a Sentence

The project has been shrouded in controversy from its inception.

Since its inception, the business has expanded to become a national retail chain.

We'll assist you at every stage from inception to completion.

Recent Examples on the Web

Since its inception, NASA has selected 61 women to be astronauts, and the first all-female spacewalk, carried out by NASA astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir, occurred outside the International Space Station in October 2019. —Ashley Strickland, CNN, 27 Feb. 2025

In particular, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich of the Religious Zionist Party called repeatedly for renewing Israeli settlement in Gaza—for resurrecting an enterprise that Oded had rightly denounced from its inception as a disaster for Israel. —Gershom Gorenberg, The Atlantic, 26 Feb. 2025

Since its inception, the program has raised $358 million for causes. —David Hessekiel, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2025

Perhaps soon-to-be former Lucasfilm executive Kathleen Kennedy, Plan B’s Dede Gardner, Lauren Shuler Donner, Stephanie Allain, and Sarah Green are all producers who have been honored with the award since its inception. —Samantha Bergeson, IndieWire, 26 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English incepcion, from Latin inception-, inceptio, from incipere to begin, from in- + capere to take

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for inception

• conception
• deception
• exception
• perception
• reception
• apperception
• contraception
• interception
• misconception
• misperception
• preconception
• intussusception

Kids Definition

inception

noun

in·​cep·​tion in-ˈsep-shən 

: an act or instance of beginning