I. bə̇ˈginiŋ, bē-, -nēŋ noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from gerund of beginnen
1. : the point at which something begins to exist
the beginning of the world
the beginning of the war fell in May
2. : the first part : initial section or division
the first few chapters at the beginning of a novel
specifically : the first third
the beginning of the play was good but the middle and end were dull
3. : anything that has given rise to something : origin , source
nobody knows what the beginning of the feud was
4.
a. : rudimentary stage : early period
this small beginning political corruption was to grow to tremendous proportions — Carol L. Thompson
— often used in plural
Canada has had a dramatic and colorful history, particularly in her beginnings — J.D.Adams
b. : anything that is undeveloped, only partially realized, or far from completion
the Alaska highway system … is still incomplete and still only a beginning — Harold Griffin
5. : the act or action of calling or being called into existence
ascribing the blame for the beginning of a war
6. : the first principle or basic assumption
the beginning of justice is the capacity to generalize and make objective one's private sense of wrong — Earl Warren
II. adjective
Etymology: from present participle of begin
1. : just called into existence : incipient
elected president of the beginning organization
2.
a. : of the introductory part or first third
the beginning chapters of a book
b. : very first : initial
the beginning canto of an epic — New Yorker
: original
he quickly modified his beginning plan
3.
a. : treating the rudiments or basic elements of
a course in beginning chemistry
b. : just becoming familiar with the rudiments, skills, practice, or routine
a beginning machinist
the beginning fisherman
a beginning dentist