Meaning & use
inception
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Meaning
nounsingularformal
The point at which an organization, project, or activity begins.
Grammar: Usually used with the or its: since its inception.
Patterns
- since the inception of something
- from its inception
- at the inception of something
The charity has helped thousands of families since its inception.
Problems appeared at the very inception of the project.
From inception, the school focused on science.
Common combinations
- since its inception
- The festival has grown every year since its inception.
- from inception
- The plan was flawed from inception.
- at the inception of
- At the inception of the company, there were only three workers.
- inception date
- The fund's inception date was 2008.
- project inception
- Project inception requires a clear budget.
Synonyms and how they differ
- beginning
- Beginning is the plain everyday word and is not limited to organizations.
- start
- Start is more casual and works for any event, not only formal projects.
- founding
- Founding refers to establishing an institution, so it is narrower than inception.
- launch
- Launch suggests a public start, such as a product, while inception can be quiet or early.
Opposites
Word family
- inceptive adjective
- relating to a beginning (rare)
- incept verb
- to begin or take in (rare, technical)
- inceptor noun
- one who begins something (rare)
Commonly confused: inception or inspection? inception or conception?
inception vs inspection
Inspection means a careful look at something, while inception means the start of something.
inception vs conception
Conception can mean the forming of an idea or the start of pregnancy, whereas inception is the beginning of an organization or project.
Practice
The orchestra has performed every summer ___ its inception in 1990.
Choose one answer.
Since marks the starting point of a period still continuing, so since its inception fits. For needs a length of time.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “inception”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.