# commence

/kəˈmɛns/ (US) · /kəmˈɛns/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/commence
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 2. to take a university degree

verb · CEFR C2 · Archaic · British English

to receive a degree from a university.

For teachers: to take a degree at a university, particularly at a graduation ceremony.

- In the old records, he is listed as having commenced Master of Arts in 1842.
- The university archives indicate that several notable scholars commenced Doctor of Divinity during the same spring convocation.

Usage: Intransitive; usually followed by 'Master' or 'Doctor'.

## Examples

- The graduation ceremony will commence at ten o'clock.
- The construction crew is scheduled to commence work on the new bridge as soon as the final permits are signed.
- Once the opening statements are concluded, the court will commence the examination of the witnesses to establish a timeline of the events in question.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.