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

With such a strong stateside showing for their first outing, JO1 can hopefully keep the momentum going in 2025 and beyond to help usher in an exciting new wave of Japanese-pop acts impacting the global market with an edge and passion unique to them. —Jeff Benjamin, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025

Lemon pie filling acts as the foundation and ushers in the sweet-tart flavor. —Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Mar. 2025

Maryland is revealing that addressing the climate crisis can help usher in a clean energy economy that provides economic benefits, such as lower energy costs and job creation, for all Maryland residents. —Brian Jenkins, Baltimore Sun, 9 Mar. 2025

Mobile banking has ushered in an unprecedented level of access to the monetary system. —Amitava Kumar, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1