From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishldoce_713_zcommencecom‧mence /kəˈmens/ ●○○ AWL verb [intransitive, transitive] formal START DOING somethingSTART TO HAPPEN, EXIST ETCto begin or to start something Work will commence on the new building immediately. Your first evaluation will be six months after you commence employment.commence with The course commences with a one week introduction to Art Theory.commence doing something The planes commenced bombing at midnight.► see thesaurus at startRegisterIn everyday English, people usually say start rather than commence:The concert was just about to start.→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
commence• Undaunted I commenced my own search and within minutes was holding a medieval buckle.• In the excitement as the applause commenced, nobody had noticed Stafford slipping out of the lecture hall.• They will commence production in April.• Beloved put her fists on her hips and commenced to skip on bare feet.• His face has commenced to take on that same haggard, puzzled look of pressure that the face on the floor has.• The benefits for items 1-3 and 5 are only payable provided the contingency commences within 12 months of the injury.• In 1891 he began making plans for a road and in 1893 he commenced work.commence doing something• The planes commenced bombing on Wednesday.Origin commence (1300-1400) Old French comencer, from Vulgar Latin cominitiare, from Latin com- ( → COM-) + initiare “to begin” 