com ‧ mence AC /kəˈmens/ BrE AmE verb [intransitive and transitive] formal
[ Word Family: verb : ↑ commence ; noun : ↑ commencement ]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: comencer , from Vulgar Latin cominitiare , from Latin com- ( ⇨ COM- ) + initiare 'to begin' ]
to begin or to start something:
Work will commence on the new building immediately.
Your first evaluation will be six months after you commence employment.
commence with
The course commences with a one week introduction to Art Theory.
commence doing something
The planes commenced bombing at midnight.
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In everyday English, people usually say start rather than commence :
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The concert was just about to start.