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

Industrial capitalism, by contrast, ushered in a free-market ideology that emphasized employers’ rights and viewed government intervention—whether in wage regulation or in hiring and firing practices—with suspicion. —John Cassidy, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025

Recognizing her philanthropic work on behalf of women, Jaffe once ushered in Women’s History Month by ringing the opening bell on the Nasdaq. —David Moin, Footwear News, 16 Apr. 2025

Spring, after all, ushers in new beginnings with nature bursting into color and life after the cold, harsh inert winter. —Paul Laudicina, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025

Trey Flowers was released in 2022, with the Lions ushering in a new era by selecting Hutchinson second overall. —Colton Pouncy, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1