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

Clinton's loss—and Trump's win—ushered in a new era for American women. —Charlotte Alter, TIME, 5 Nov. 2024

Psychedelic enthusiasts have long hoped that widespread acceptance of the drugs would usher in utopia. —Shayla Love, The Atlantic, 1 Nov. 2024

Conversely, a Trump win would probably usher in an era of minimal government intervention, potentially accelerating AI development but raising concerns about unintended societal consequences and ethical implications. —Bernard Marr, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024

This kind of machine promises to be absolutely transformational society-wide on a mass scale, decoupling productivity from population figures and potentially ushering in a post-capitalist world of plenty. —New Atlas, 30 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1