inception

noun

in·​cep·​tion in-ˈsep-shən 

: an act, process, or instance of beginning : commencement

Synonyms

• alpha
• baseline
• beginning
• birth
• commencement
• dawn
• day one
• genesis
• get-go
• git-go
• incipience
• incipiency
• kickoff
• launch
• morning
• nascence
• nascency
• onset
• outset
• start
• threshold

Choose the Right Synonym for inception

origin, source, inception, root mean the point at which something begins its course or existence.

origin applies to the things or persons from which something is ultimately derived and often to the causes operating before the thing itself comes into being.

an investigation into the origin of baseball

source applies more often to the point where something springs into being.

the source of the Nile

the source of recurrent trouble

inception stresses the beginning of something without implying causes.

the business has been a success since its inception

root suggests a first, ultimate, or fundamental source often not easily discerned.

the real root of the violence

Examples of inception in a Sentence

The project has been shrouded in controversy from its inception.

Since its inception, the business has expanded to become a national retail chain.

We'll assist you at every stage from inception to completion.

Recent Examples on the Web

Here’s How Elton John’s AIDS Foundation Is Rising to the Occasion One of the largest organizations in the world devoted to HIV/AIDS relief faces perhaps its most critical year since inception. —Samantha Riedel, Them., 4 Apr. 2025

Veteran publishing executive Robert Gottlieb, the chairman of the literary agency Trident Media Group who has been following the trend since its inception, is only slightly more measured. —Andy Lewis, HollywoodReporter, 4 Apr. 2025

Since its inception, the festival has been dedicated to supporting Friday’s conviction that Black artists deserve the same opportunities as their mainstream counterparts. —Jazz Tangcay, Variety, 2 Apr. 2025

Despite the benefits of fluoridation, it has been fiercely opposed by some since its inception, said Catherine Hayes, a Harvard dental expert who advises the American Dental Association on fluoride and has studied its use for three decades. —Tribune News Service, Twin Cities, 1 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English incepcion, from Latin inception-, inceptio, from incipere to begin, from in- + capere to take

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for inception

• conception
• deception
• exception
• perception
• reception
• apperception
• contraception
• interception
• misconception
• misperception
• preconception
• intussusception

Kids Definition

inception

noun

in·​cep·​tion in-ˈsep-shən 

: an act or instance of beginning