beginning
- 01 A1 Beginner
n.the first part of a story, a book, or a period of time.
n.the initial portion of a temporal sequence or a physical object.
Simple“The beginning of the movie was much more exciting than the ending.”
In context“At the beginning of the fiscal year, the department outlines its primary objectives and allocates resources accordingly.”
PitfallIn the beginning of the movie, I was bored. At the beginning of the movie, I was bored.Use 'at the beginning of' for a specific point in time. 'In the beginning' is usually used alone to mean 'at first' or 'long ago'.
SynonymsAntonyms - 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.the place or time where something first started.
n.the origin, source, or first cause of a phenomenon or state of being.
Simple“Scientists are still studying the beginning of the universe.”
In context“Historians often debate the true beginning of the conflict, looking for the specific political shifts that triggered the initial violence.”
- 03 B1 Intermediate
adj.describing the first or simplest level of something.
adj.relating to the initial stage of a process or a basic level of proficiency.
Simple“This is a beginning course for people who have never used a computer.”
In context“The curriculum is designed for beginning students, focusing on foundational concepts before moving toward more complex theoretical frameworks.”
Synonyms
Usage beginning to end · beginning to understand · beginning of the war
From Middle English biginning, beginninge, beginnunge, equivalent to begin + -ing.
From Middle English begynnyng, bygynnynge, From Old English beginnende (attested only as Old English onginnende), from Proto-Germanic biginnandz, present participle of Proto-Germanic *biginnaną (“to begin”), equivalent to begin + -ing.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.