commencement
noun
com·mence·ment
kə-ˈmen(t)s-mənt 
1
: an act, instance, or time of commencing
They awaited the commencement of the trial.
2
a
: the ceremonies or the day for conferring degrees or diplomas
A Nobel Prize winner will speak at the commencement.
b
: the period of activities at this time
Commencement will kick off with a family reception followed by a banquet.
Examples of commencement in a Sentence
A poet will speak at the commencement.
there was a large turnout at the commencement of the conference, but the numbers dwindled as it progressed
Recent Examples on the Web
Snoop Dogg is set to deliver the 2025 commencement address at the University of Southern California’s Marshall School of Business graduation ceremony as announced by the university on Tuesday (March 25).
—
Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Usher is set to deliver the keynote address at Emory University’s 180th commencement this spring when the R&B legend takes the podium at the graduation on May 12.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 27 Feb. 2025
This the same woman whose 1969 Wellesley commencement address was a paean to youthful dissent, searching, and renewal.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 8 Feb. 2025
Back in May, Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker faced zero professional repercussions for spouting off all sorts of hateful rhetoric about the LGBTQ+ community and working women during a commencement speech at Kansas’s Benedictine College.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commencement
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Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 27 Mar. 2025
Usher is set to deliver the keynote address at Emory University’s 180th commencement this spring when the R&B legend takes the podium at the graduation on May 12.
—Michael Saponara, Billboard, 27 Feb. 2025
This the same woman whose 1969 Wellesley commencement address was a paean to youthful dissent, searching, and renewal.
—Matthew Continetti, National Review, 8 Feb. 2025
Back in May, Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker faced zero professional repercussions for spouting off all sorts of hateful rhetoric about the LGBTQ+ community and working women during a commencement speech at Kansas’s Benedictine College.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for commencement
Cite this Entry
“Commencement.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commencement. Accessed 30 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
commencement
noun
com·mence·ment
kə-ˈmen(t)s-mənt
1
: an act, instance, or time of commencing
2
: the ceremonies or the day for presenting degrees or diplomas to graduates of a school or college
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