to begin with

adverb

Initially, at first, at the very start.

“To begin with, we moved the furniture out of the room.”

Similar
at firstto start withinitiallyin the first placeearlierin the beginningoriginally
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Meanings

adverbto begin with (not comparable)
  1. not comparableInitially, at first, at the very start.

    To begin with, we moved the furniture out of the room.

    Synonyms: at first, to start with, initially

  2. not comparableIn the first place.

    Double my wages? You weren't paying me anything to begin with!

    Synonyms: to start with

Synonyms & antonyms

adverbInitially, at first, at the very start.

Similar
at firstto start withinitially

adverbIn the first place.

Similar
to start with

More synonyms by meaning

adverbbefore now

Similar
in the first placeearlierin the beginningoriginally
Also see
earlierinitiallyin the first placeoriginallyto start off withto start with

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Finnish ensinnäkään, alun alkujaankaan
  • ensinnäkäänin the first place
  • alun alkujaankaanin the first place
Russian для начала
  • для начала (dlja načala)initially
Swedish till att börja med, inledningsvis
  • till att börja medinitially
  • inledningsvisinitially
  • till att börja medin the first place
Tamil முதலில், முதலில்
  • முதலில் (mutalil)initially
  • முதலில் (mutalil)in the first place
Turkish başta olmak üzere, en başından
  • başta olmak üzereinitially
  • en başındaninitially
Cite this entry
APA

to begin with. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/to%20begin%20with

MLA

“to begin with.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/to%20begin%20with. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “to begin with,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/to%20begin%20with.

Source: to begin with on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.