undertake

verb

un·​der·​take ˌən-dər-ˈtāk How to pronounce undertake (audio)
undertook ˌən-dər-ˈtu̇k How to pronounce undertake (audio) ; undertaken ˌən-dər-ˈtā-kən How to pronounce undertake (audio) ; undertaking

transitive verb

1
: to take upon oneself : set about : attempt
undertake a task
undertake to learn to swim
2
: to put oneself under obligation to perform
also : to accept as a charge or responsibility
the lawyer who undertook the case
3
: guarantee, promise
readily undertook that the letter should be securely conveyedSir Walter Scott

intransitive verb

archaic : to give surety or assume responsibility

Examples of undertake in a Sentence

He's undertaking a thorough search. The researchers undertook a series of studies.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Originally Published: May 9, 2025 at 5:00 AM PDT Most Popular Most Popular San Diego’s largest hotel undertakes mammoth remodel — including its 40th-story bar A woman drove into a San Diego military facility by mistake. Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2025 Instead, employers retain discretion and must undertake individualized assessments before taking adverse action, preserving meaningful human involvement. Alonzo Martinez, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025 But watching videos, movies and other colorful moving imagery is best undertaken in much, much darker spaces. Paul Ridden may 09, New Atlas, 9 May 2025 In India, meanwhile, Mahatma Gandhi undertook a long fast in an effort to influence British colonial rule—as if to underscore that the global political order was larger and more complicated than continental statecraft acknowledged. Paul Elie, New Yorker, 9 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for undertake

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of undertake was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Undertake.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undertake. Accessed 16 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

undertake

verb
un·​der·​take ˌən-dər-ˈtāk How to pronounce undertake (audio)
undertook -ˈtu̇k How to pronounce undertake (audio) ; undertaken -ˈtā-kən How to pronounce undertake (audio) ; undertaking
1
: to take upon oneself as a task : enter upon
undertake a journey
2
: to take on as a duty : agree, contract
undertake to deliver a package

More from Merriam-Webster on undertake

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