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Added 9 October 2026

beginning

/bɪˈɡɪn.ɪŋ/ noun

In Latin: initium, principium, prīmordium Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about beginning at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

The act of doing that which begins anything; commencement of an action, state, or space of time; entrance into being or upon a course; the first act, effort, or state of a succession of acts or states.
That which is begun; a rudiment or element.
That which begins or originates something; the source or first cause.
What was the beginning of the dispute?

verb

present participle and gerund of begin
He is beginning to read a new book.

adjective

Being the first portion of some extended thing.
in the beginning paragraph of the chapter

Origin

From Middle English biginning, beginninge, beginnunge, equivalent to begin + -ing.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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