usher in

verb

ushered in; ushering in; ushers in

transitive verb

1

: to serve to bring into being

a discovery that ushered in a period of change

2

: to mark or observe the beginning of

ushered in the new year with merrymaking

Choose the Right Synonym for usher in

begin, commence, start, initiate, inaugurate, usher in mean to take the first step in a course, process, or operation.

begin, start, and commence are often interchangeable.

begin, opposed to end, is the most general.

begin a trip

began dancing

start, opposed to stop, applies especially to first actions, steps, or stages.

the work started slowly

commence can be more formal or bookish than begin or start.

commence firing

commenced a conversation

initiate implies taking a first step in a process or series that is to continue.

initiated diplomatic contacts

inaugurate suggests a beginning of some formality or notion of significance.

the discovery of penicillin inaugurated a new era in medicine

usher in is somewhat less weighty than inaugurate.

ushered in a period of economic decline

Examples of usher in in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Across Latin America, from Colombia and Brazil in 2010 to Ecuador in 2017 and Argentina in 2019, high-profile leaders ushering in mentees have resulted in drastic shifts away from the continuance outgoing presidents had hoped for. —Whitney Eulich, The Christian Science Monitor, 3 June 2024

The emerging digital age — which ushered in easier access to cheaper products and, to a degree, the democratization of the product expertise held by companies like Horizon — dealt a heavier blow. —David Hudnall, Kansas City Star, 29 May 2024

Ferdman expects climate change will usher in more invasive pests, which would create a need for more legislative action. —Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 28 May 2024

The show had gone on hiatus on a cliffhanger: Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley) had just thrown down the gauntlet against his sister Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and father John Dutton (Costner) in a move that would usher in an all-out war between the embittered family members. —James Hibberd, The Hollywood Reporter, 20 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1