commence
To begin or start.
commence in a sentence
- 'Let the games commence!' roared the announcer as the whistle blew.
- The baking contest will commence at ten o'clock sharp, so have your aprons ready.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to commence?
- Astop
- Bbegin
- Cfinish
- Dend
Show the answer
B: begin. The other three mean the opposite of commence.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to commence?
- Afinish
- Bopen
- Cstart
- Dbegin
Show the answer
A: finish. The other three mean nearly the same as commence.
Words that mean something similar
begin, start, open
Words that mean the opposite
finish, end, stop
More words about time & change
- conclude: To bring something to an end, or to decide something after thinking about it.
- constant: Happening all the time without stopping, or staying the same.
- contemporary: Belonging to the present time; modern.
- convert: To change something into something else.
- corrode: To slowly eat away at metal or other material.
- customary: Done as a habit or tradition; usual.
- disastrous: Causing great damage, trouble or failure.
- dormant: Not active now, as if asleep, but able to wake up later.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test