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

Trump has argued that Harris will usher in a dangerously progressive, California-style agenda that will cater to immigrants and crater the economy. —Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2024

Movies ushered in a whole new world for Netflix as the platform could stream them direct to consumers (DTC) without needing to give around 50% of the takings to theaters as studios typically have to do. —Caroline Reid, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024

Central bankers ushered in their easing campaign with a 50-basis-point reduction in the target range for the fed funds overnight bank lending rate to 4.75% to 5%. —Jeff Marks, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2024

Just in time for second summer, a giant pumpkin has arrived in Tampa to usher in some fall energy. —Kathryn Varn, Axios, 18 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1