Meaning & use
undertaking
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Meanings
nouncountable
A piece of work or a project, usually a big or demanding one that takes serious effort.
Grammar: Countable: a major undertaking, several undertakings.
Patterns
- a huge undertaking
- an undertaking to do something
Renovating the old farmhouse was a huge undertaking.
Organizing the festival is a massive undertaking for such a small team.
The museum's expansion is an expensive undertaking.
nouncountableformallegal
A formal promise to do something, especially one given in writing or to an official body.
Grammar: Usually followed by to plus a verb: an undertaking to repay the money.
Patterns
- give an undertaking
- an undertaking to do something
The company gave an undertaking not to use the data again.
She signed an undertaking to pay the fine within a month.
The court accepted his undertaking to stay away from the site.
Word forms
| plural | undertakings |
|---|
Common combinations
- a major undertaking
- Moving the whole library was a major undertaking.
- a risky undertaking
- Starting a business in a recession is a risky undertaking.
- give an undertaking
- The firm gave an undertaking to correct the error.
- a joint undertaking
- The bridge was a joint undertaking by two countries.
- a worthwhile undertaking
- Teaching adults to read is a worthwhile undertaking.
Synonyms and how they differ
- project
- Project is the everyday word and need not be large, while undertaking stresses the size and seriousness of the effort.
- venture
- Venture suggests risk or uncertainty, particularly in business, which undertaking does not necessarily imply.
- enterprise
- Enterprise is more about boldness or a business concern, while undertaking focuses on the task taken on.
- pledge
- For the promise sense, pledge is warmer and more personal, while undertaking is formal and often legal.
Word family
- undertake verb
- to take on a task or promise to do it
- undertaker noun
- a person who arranges funerals
- undertook verb
- past tense of undertake
- undertaken verb
- past participle of undertake
Commonly confused: undertaking or endeavor?
undertaking vs endeavor
An endeavor is an attempt or effort, often with a worthy aim, while an undertaking is the task itself or a formal promise.
Practice
Which sentence uses undertaking in the sense of a formal promise?
Choose one answer.
Only the landlord sentence describes a promise made to do something. The other options use undertaking for a large task or project.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “undertaking”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.