Adjacent Words

Commencement definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

COMMENCEMENT, n.
1. Beginning; rise; origin; first existence; as the commencement of New Style in 1752; the commencement of hostilities in 1775.
2. The time when students in colleges commence bachelors; a day in which degrees are publicly conferred on students who have finished a collegiate education. In Cambridge, Eng., the day when masters of arts and doctors complete their degrees.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the time at which something is supposed to begin; "they got an early start"; "she knew from the get-go that he was the man for her" [syn: beginning, commencement, first, outset, get-go, start, kickoff, starting time, showtime, offset] [ant: end, ending, middle]
2: an academic exercise in which diplomas are conferred [syn: commencement, commencement exercise, commencement ceremony, graduation, graduation exercise]
3: the act of starting something; "he was responsible for the beginning of negotiations" [syn: beginning, start, commencement] [ant: finish, finishing]

Merriam Webster's

noun Date: 13th century 1. an act, instance, or time of commencing 2. a. the ceremonies or the day for conferring degrees or diplomas b. the period of activities at this time

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. formal 1 a beginning. 2 esp. US a ceremony of degree conferment. Etymology: ME f. OF (as COMMENCE)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Commencement Com*mence"ment, n. [F. commencement.] 1. The first existence of anything; act or fact of commencing; rise; origin; beginning; start. The time of Henry VII. . . . nearly coincides with the commencement of what is termed ``modern history.'' --Hallam. 2. The day when degrees are conferred by colleges and universities upon students and others.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(commencements) 1. The commencement of something is its beginning. (FORMAL) All applicants should be at least 16 years of age at the commencement of this course. N-UNCOUNT: usu the N of n 2. Commencement is a ceremony at a university, college, or high school at which students formally receive their degrees or diplomas. (AM; in BRIT, use graduation) N-VAR: usu N n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Beginning, outset, opening. 2. Graduation day, day of conferring degrees.

Moby Thesaurus

A, alpha, baccalaureate service, beginning, birth, blast-off, celebration, ceremonial, ceremony, conception, convocation, creation, cutting edge, dawn, dawning, derivation, edge, empty formality, establishment, exercise, exercises, flying start, formal, formality, foundation, fresh start, function, genesis, graduation, graduation exercises, grass roots, head, inaugural, inauguration, inception, initiation, institution, jump-off, kick-off, leading edge, liturgy, mummery, new departure, observance, office, oncoming, onset, opening, origin, original, origination, outbreak, outset, outstart, performance, provenience, radical, radix, religious ceremony, rise, rite, rite de passage, rite of passage, ritual, root, running start, send-off, service, setting in motion, setting-up, solemnity, solemnization, source, square one, start, start-off, starting point, stem, stock, take-off, taproot