beginning: Meaning and Definition of

be•gin•ning

Pronunciation: (bi-gin'ing), [key]
— n.
  1. an act or circumstance of entering upon an action or state: the beginning of hostilities.
  2. the point of time or space at which anything begins: the beginning of the Christian era; the beginning of the route.
  3. the first part: the beginning of the book; the beginning of the month.
  4. Often,the initial stage or part of anything: the beginnings of science.
  5. origin; source; first cause: A misunderstanding about the rent was the beginning of their quarrel.
—adj.
  1. just formed: a beginning company.
  2. first; opening: the beginning chapters of a book.
  3. basic or introductory: beginning Spanish.
  4. learning the fundamentals: a beginning swimmer.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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