The meeting will commence.
Source: tatoeba (22432)
Commence
/kəˈmɛns/
Synonyms for "commence" (112 found)
Ranked by relevance and common usage.
Closest matches (23)
Strong matches (33)
Related words (56)
Choosing the right synonym
- Closest matches in this entry: begin, start, arise, attempt, began.
- Sentence evidence is available for commence, so synonym choice can be checked against real usage rather than a flat word list.
- Ranking signals come from wiktionary, wordnet, opengloss, moby, and related lexical sources.
Synonym selection checklist
- Match the part of speech before comparing meanings.
- Check whether the synonym changes intensity, formality, or emotional tone.
- Read the replacement inside the full sentence, not just beside "commence".
- Prefer the clearest word over the most unusual word when writing for speed or comprehension.
When not to replace "commence"
Keep "commence" when the sentence already sounds natural, when a synonym would add unintended emphasis, or when readers need the most familiar wording. A synonym should clarify or sharpen the message, not simply make the sentence look more varied.
If two options seem close, choose the one that best matches the audience and purpose of the sentence.
Replacement workflow
1. Preserve meaning
Choose a synonym only if it keeps the core idea of "commence" intact in the sentence you are editing.
2. Tune tone
Check whether the replacement sounds more formal, casual, emotional, technical, or forceful than the original word.
3. Re-read context
Read the full sentence after the swap. Keep the synonym only when the sentence becomes clearer or more precise.
Review note: Synonym lists are ranked with lexical data and reviewed for practical writing value. Use the comparison notes, sentence evidence, and source labels together; a high-ranking synonym can still be wrong when the audience, register, or grammar changes.
Final fit check
After choosing a replacement for "commence", read the sentence once for meaning and once for rhythm. The best synonym should feel natural in the full sentence, not only accurate in a word list.
If the synonym makes the sentence slower, vaguer, or more dramatic than intended, keep "commence" or choose a simpler alternative from the closest-match group.
Related word relations
OpenGloss and ConceptNet supply richer edges like generalizations, collocations, and derivations.
More general
14 entriesMore specific
4 entriesCollocations
6 entriescommence a programcommence an investigationcommence constructioncommence negotiationscommence operationscommence proceedings
Inflections
3 entriesDerivations
1 entriessimilar
1 entriesTranslations
52 translations across 32 languages.
Armenian
1 entries- սկսել verb (begin, start)
Azerbaijani
1 entries- başlamaq verb (begin, start)
Belarusian
4 entries- пача́цца verb (begin, start)
- пача́ць verb (begin, start)
- пачына́цца verb (begin, start)
- пачына́ць verb (begin, start)
Bulgarian
1 entries- започвам verb (begin, start)
Catalan
1 entries- començar verb (begin, start)
Chinese Mandarin
1 entries- 開始 /开始 verb (begin, start)
Danish
1 entries- begynde verb (begin, start)
Dutch
1 entries- aanvangen verb (begin, start)
Esperanto
1 entries- komenciĝi verb (begin, start)
Finnish
1 entries- aloittaa verb (begin, start)
French
1 entries- commencer verb (begin, start)
Galician
1 entries- comezar verb (begin, start)
Georgian
1 entries- დაწყება verb (begin, start)
German
2 entries- anfangen verb (begin, start)
- beginnen verb (begin, start)
Greek
1 entries- αρχίζω verb (begin, start)
Haitian Creole
1 entries- komanse verb (begin, start)
Hungarian
1 entries- elkezd verb (begin, start)
Interlingua
1 entries- comenciar verb (begin, start)
Italian
1 entries- cominciare verb (begin, start)
Japanese
2 entries- 始まる verb (begin, start)
- 始める verb (begin, start)
Norwegian
2 entries- begynne verb (begin, start)
- påbegynne verb (begin, start)
Persian
1 entries- آغاز کردن verb (begin, start)
Polish
2 entries- poczać verb (begin, start)
- poczynać verb (begin, start)
Portuguese
1 entries- começar verb (begin, start)
Romanian
1 entries- începe verb (begin, start)
Russian
2 entries- начина́ть verb (begin, start)
- начина́ться verb (begin, start)
Slovene
2 entries- pričenjati verb (begin, start)
- pričeti verb (begin, start)
Spanish
4 entries- comenzar verb (begin, start)
- decentar verb (begin, start)
- empezar verb (begin, start)
- encentar verb (begin, start)
Swedish
2 entries- begynna verb (begin, start)
- börja verb (begin, start)
Tagalog
1 entries- magsimula verb (begin, start)
Turkish
3 entries- açmak verb (begin, start)
- başlamak verb (begin, start)
- başlatmak verb (begin, start)
Ukrainian
4 entries- поча́ти verb (begin, start)
- поча́тися verb (begin, start)
- почина́ти verb (begin, start)
- почина́тися verb (begin, start)
Sample sentences
19 total sentences available.
The conference will commence in due course.
Source: tatoeba (22499)
"Demander" can also mean "to wonder" in French, if you put the word "me" in front of it. So, for example, the expression "Je me demande quand le film commence" means "I wonder when the movie begins."
Source: tatoeba (6990507)
Please commence with the vows.
Source: tatoeba (8390788)
Showing 4 of 19 available sentences.
Common questions
What are the closest synonyms for "commence"?
Closest matches include begin, start, arise, attempt, began.
How should I check whether a synonym fits "commence"?
Compare the replacement against real sentence context. This entry includes sample sentences so you can check tone, grammar, and meaning before swapping words.