What does commencing mean?
"Commencing" is the present participle of the verb "commence," meaning to begin or start something. It carries a distinctly formal tone and appears most often in legal, administrative, ceremonial, and business contexts — contracts speak of commencing operations, courts speak of commencing proceedings, and institutions announce events as commencing at a given hour. The word derives ultimately from the Latin "cominitiare" (to initiate), reaching English through Old French in the late Middle Ages, which links it etymologically to words like "initiate" and "initial." While perfectly correct, it can sound stilted or even faintly old-fashioned in everyday conversation, where most people simply say "starting" or "beginning." Its value lies precisely in that formality: when a writer chooses "commencing," they signal authority, ceremony, or official procedure, making it an indispensable tool for registers that demand gravity and precision.
verbThe present participle of "commence": to begin or start something.
- To begin or start an action, process, event, or undertaking (formal register).
"The ceremony will be commencing at noon sharp."
"Construction of the new library is commencing next month."
"The court adjourned before commencing the afternoon session."
Though it feels quintessentially formal today, "commencing" descends from the same Latin root that gave us "initiate" — meaning to begin by entering into.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of commencing
The verb "commence" entered English in the fourteenth century, borrowed from Old French "comencier," which traces back through Vulgar Latin to Latin roots combining "com-" (together) with elements related to "initiare" (to begin, to enter upon). This makes "commencing" a distant relative of "initial," "initiate," and "initiative." Over centuries it settled into English as the formal word for beginning, gradually ceding everyday ground to native "begin" while retaining its place in legal and ceremonial language.
Related word forms
How commencing is actually used
"Commencing" belongs chiefly to formal registers: legal documents, official announcements, ceremonial speech, and business writing. In casual conversation, speakers almost always say "starting" instead. It is standard in both British and American English.
Easily confused with commencing
"Beginning" is the everyday neutral term for starting, while "commencing" is its more formal counterpart often used in legal, ceremonial, and official contexts.