the beginning

Meanings

1. 1nounsingular

   The first part or point in time when something starts.

   Grammar: Always used with 'the' or another determiner; it refers to a specific start.

   Patterns

   • the beginning of something
   • at the beginning
   • from the beginning

   The beginning of the movie was very slow.

   She left at the beginning of the meeting.

   We need to go back to the beginning and try again.

2. 2nounsingular

   The origin or source of something.

   Grammar: Often followed by 'of' to show what is starting.

   Patterns

   • the beginning of something

   This discovery was the beginning of a new era in medicine.

   The beginning of their friendship was a shared love of music.

Common combinations

at the beginning

At the beginning, I didn't understand the rules.

from the beginning

He knew from the beginning that it would be difficult.

the beginning of the end

That mistake was the beginning of the end for the project.

in the beginning

In the beginning, the company had only two employees.

Synonyms and how they differ

start

'Start' is more informal and common in everyday speech; 'the beginning' is slightly more formal and often used in writing.

onset

'Onset' is formal and usually refers to something unpleasant, like an illness; 'the beginning' is neutral.

outset

'Outset' is formal and means the very early stage; 'the beginning' is more general.

Opposites

Word family

begin verb

To start doing something.

beginner noun

A person who is just starting to learn something.

beginning noun

The start of something (without 'the').

Commonly confused: the beginning or begin?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “the beginning”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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