commencement
Other forms: commencements
A commencement is the act of starting out, or blazing a new trail.
The suffix -ment makes the word commencement a noun — a thing, an activity, a start. The word can be used for the beginning of anything, from a business meeting to a vacation trip to a marriage. Anything that begins has a moment of commencement. That's why a graduation ceremony is called a commencement — a graduate is embarking on a new life, and the commencement ritual marks the official beginning of that life.
-
the act of starting somethingexamples:Creation(theology) God's act of bringing the universe into existencetypes:activationmaking active and effective (as a bomb)constitution, establishment, formation, organisation, organizationthe act of forming or establishing somethingdebut, entry, first appearance, introduction, launching, unveilingthe act of beginning something newface-off(ice hockey) the method of starting play; a referee drops the puck between two opposing playersgroundbreaking, groundbreaking ceremonythe ceremonial breaking of the ground to formally begin a construction projecthousing startthe act of starting to construct a houseicebreakera beginning that relaxes a tense or formal atmospherecreation, foundation, founding, initiation, innovation, instauration, institution, introduction, originationthe act of starting something for the first time; introducing something newjump ball(basketball) the way play begins or resumes when possession is disputed; an official tosses the ball up between two players who jump in an effort to tap it to a teammatekickoff(football) a kick from the center of the field to start a football game or to resume it after a scorescrum, scrummage(rugby) the method of beginning play in which the forwards of each team crouch side by side with locked arms; play starts when the ball is thrown in between them and the two sides compete for possessionstartupthe act of setting in operationinductionthe act of bringing about something (especially at an early time)product introductionthe introduction (usually by an advertising campaign) of a new product or product lineushering inthe introduction of something newcurtain raiserany preliminary activityfirst basethe initial stage in accomplishing somethingpeace initiativeopening move in negotiating a peace treatynaturalisation, naturalizationthe introduction of animals or plants to places where they flourish but are not indigenouscollectivisation, collectivizationthe organization of a nation or economy on the basis of collectivismfederationthe act of constituting a political unity out of a number of separate states or colonies or provinces so that each member retains the management of its internal affairsincorporationthe act or process of establishing a city or organization as a legal entitytype of:change of statethe act of changing something into something different in essential characteristics
-
the time at which something is supposed to begin
-
an academic exercise in which diplomas are conferredtype of:exercise(usually plural) a ceremony that involves processions and speeches
- MLA
- APA
- Chicago
Vocabulary lists containing commencement
Here are 33 words that will help you survive on a college campus, looking cool and "in the know." So, if someone wants to meet you on the quad, you'll know where to go. Or, if someone tells you that you've matriculated, you won't be scared.
Congraduations may be cute, but it's not a real word. Here are fifteen real words often seen and heard in the days before and after a graduation ceremony, hidden under mortarboards and robes. For the full article, check out The Valedictory Lingo of Graduation
Steve Jobs's Commencement Address at Stanford University on June 12, 2005 focuses on three personal stories from the entrepreneur's life that touch upon larger themes. The overall tone is both humorously self-deprecating and seriously uplifting. Jobs admitted that he had never graduated from college, but through a series of setbacks that turned out to be the best things to happen to him at those moments, he stayed hungry and foolish enough to make each day worth living. E-text available here.