Meanings
plural commencements
- countableuncountableThe first existence of anything; act or fact of commencing; the beginning.
The time of Henry VII nearly coincides with the commencement of what is termed modern history.
2 more examples
Yet from the commencement of mining there have been unnoble proprietors of mines, who belonged to the class of merchants.
1800, William Took, View of the Russian empire during the reign of Catharine the SecondCommencement of a two-hourly service pattern by GWR marked the return of regular services to Okehampton for the first time since their withdrawal in 1972. There are plans to extend this to hourly.
2022 January 12, “Network News: Thousands savour Okehampton visit”, in RAIL, number 948, page 11 - countableuncountableeducationThe day when degrees are conferred by colleges and universities upon students and others.
- countableuncountableeducationA graduation ceremony, from a school, college or university. Sometimes before the actual graduation.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe first existence of anything; act or fact of commencing; the beginning.
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe time at which something is supposed to begin
nounan academic exercise in which diplomas are conferred
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Frenchcommencement
- Englishcommencement
From French commencement; analyzable as commence + -ment.
More words from French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic فاتِحَة
- فاتِحَة (fātiḥa)an act of commencing or beginning
Bulgarian наче́ване, поде́мане
- наче́ване (načévane)an act of commencing or beginning
- поде́мане (podémane)an act of commencing or beginning
- дипломи́ране (diplomírane)day degrees are conferred
- дипломи́ране (diplomírane)graduation ceremony
Catalan començament
- començamentan act of commencing or beginning
Chinese Mandarin 畢業禮 /毕业礼, 畢業典禮 /毕业典礼
- 畢業禮 /毕业礼 (bìyèlǐ)graduation ceremony
- 畢業典禮 /毕业典礼 (bìyè diǎnlǐ)graduation ceremony
Dutch aanvang, afsluitceremonie
- aanvangan act of commencing or beginning
- afsluitceremoniegraduation ceremony
Finnish alku, aloitus
- alkuan act of commencing or beginning
- aloitusan act of commencing or beginning
- valmistumispäiväday degrees are conferred
- valmistujaisseremoniagraduation ceremony
- promootiograduation ceremony
- valmistujaisetgraduation ceremony
French commencement
- commencementan act of commencing or beginning
Hindi प्रारंभ, आरंभ
- प्रारंभ (prārambh)an act of commencing or beginning
- आरंभ (ārambh)an act of commencing or beginning
Indonesian wisuda, wisuda
- wisudaday degrees are conferred
- wisudagraduation ceremony
Italian inizio, cominciamento
- inizioan act of commencing or beginning
- cominciamentoan act of commencing or beginning
- giorno della consegna diplomiday degrees are conferred
- cerimonia di graduazionegraduation ceremony
- cerimonia di consegna diplomigraduation ceremony
Japanese 卒業式
- 卒業式 (sotsugyōshiki)graduation ceremony
Korean 학위수여식, 졸업식
- 학위수여식 (hagwisuyeosik)day degrees are conferred
- 졸업식 (joreopsik)graduation ceremony
Malay pembukaan, permulaan
- pembukaanan act of commencing or beginning
- permulaanan act of commencing or beginning
- konvokesyenday degrees are conferred
- hari konvoday degrees are conferred
- majlis konvokesyengraduation ceremony
- istiadat konvokesyengraduation ceremony
- upacara konvokesyengraduation ceremony
- majlis penyampaian ijazahgraduation ceremony
- majlis graduasigraduation ceremony
Māori ōrokotīmatanga, tīmatanga
- ōrokotīmatangaan act of commencing or beginning
- tīmatangaan act of commencing or beginning
- atingaan act of commencing or beginning
Polish rozpoczęcie, dzień rozdania dyplomów
- rozpoczęciean act of commencing or beginning
- dzień rozdania dyplomówday degrees are conferred
- ceremonia rozdania dyplomówgraduation ceremony
Portuguese começo, início
- começoan act of commencing or beginning
- inícioan act of commencing or beginning
- formaturagraduation ceremony
Russian нача́ло
- нача́ло (načálo)an act of commencing or beginning
Spanish incoación
- incoaciónan act of commencing or beginning
Vietnamese bắt đầu, lễ tốt nghiệp
- bắt đầuan act of commencing or beginning
- lễ tốt nghiệpgraduation ceremony
- lễ ra trườnggraduation ceremony
Cite this entry
commencement. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/commencement
“commencement.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/commencement. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “commencement,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/commencement.
Source: commencement on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.