inception
n. uncountablen. the very beginning of something, like a project, an organization, or an idea. It describes the moment something is first created or started.
n. the starting point or establishment of an institution, activity, or concept. Often used in formal contexts to refer to the founding or origin of a complex entity.
The project has been successful since its inception.
The charity has helped thousands of families since its inception in the late nineties.
While the company is now a global leader, its inception was humble, beginning as a small research project in a university basement.
Late Middle English, borrowed from Latin inceptiō, from inceptus, perfect passive participle of incipiō (“I begin”). The layering sense derives from the 2010 science fiction film Inception, in which a team of people infiltrate someone’s subconscious mind, proceeding through several layers of dreams with the goal of causing someone to incept an idea.
Typically used in the singular form, often following the preposition 'since'.