commence
commence — verb
1. to begin doing something or to make something begin to happen, used in official,
to begin doing something or to make something begin to happen, used in official, formal, or legal settings
The graduation ceremony will commence at 10 a.m. in the main hall.
intransitive: scheduled event begins formally
Aiko commenced writing her doctoral thesis after three years of lab work.
transitive: commence + -ing verb
The city council has commenced work on the renovation of the old market.
Let the negotiations commence as soon as both teams arrive.
An investigation into the data breach commenced early this morning.
- begin
neutral and far more common in everyday speech; CEFR A1
- start
similar to 'begin', often used for physical actions and machines; CEFR A1
- initiate
more formal, emphasizes the first step in a planned process; CEFR C1
- launch
implies introducing something new and significant, like a product or campaign; CEFR B2
文法句型
commence + noun phrase
commence + -ing verb
commence (on its own, intransitive)
用法筆記
Commence is a formal alternative to 'begin' or 'start'. It is most common in official announcements, legal documents, academic writing, and ceremonial contexts. Avoid using it for everyday activities — 'start' or 'begin' sound more natural for casual situations.