Commencement vs. Start — What's the Difference?

A beginning; a start.

Begin or be reckoned from a particular point in time or space; come into being

A ceremony at which academic degrees or diplomas are conferred.

Cause to happen or begin

The day on which such a ceremony occurs.

Jerk or give a small jump from surprise or alarm

The first existence of anything; act or fact of commencing; the beginning.

The point in time or space at which something has its origin; the beginning

The day when degrees are conferred by colleges and universities upon students and others.

A sudden movement of surprise or alarm

A graduation ceremony, from a school, college or university.

To begin a movement, activity, or undertaking

The first existence of anything; act or fact of commencing; rise; origin; beginning; start.

To move on the initial part of a journey

The day when degrees are conferred by colleges and universities upon students and others.

To have a beginning; commence

The time at which something is supposed to begin;

To come quickly into view, life, or activity; spring forth

An academic exercise in which diplomas are conferred

To have as an initial part or job

The act of starting something;

To move one's body or a part of it suddenly or involuntarily

(Sports) To be in the initial lineup of a game or race.

To protrude or bulge

To become loosened or disengaged.

To take the first step in doing

To cause to come into being; make happen or originate

To set into motion, operation, or activity

To begin to attend

To cause (someone) to have an initial position or role

To play in the initial lineup of (a game).

To put (a player) into the initial lineup of a game.

To enter (a participant) into a race or game.

To found; establish

To tend in an early stage of development

To rouse (game) from its hiding place or lair; flush.

To cause to become displaced or loosened.

An act of beginning; an initial effort

The beginning of a new construction project

A result of an initial effort

A place or time of beginning

A starting line for a race.

A signal to begin a race.

An instance of beginning a race

An instance of being in the starting lineup for a game, especially as a pitcher

A startled reaction or movement.

A part that has become dislocated or loosened.

A position of advantage over others, as in a race or an endeavor; a lead

An opportunity granted to pursue a career or course of action.

The beginning of an activity.

A sudden involuntary movement.

The beginning point of a race, a board game, etc.

An appearance in a sports game, horserace, etc., from the beginning of the event.

(horticulture) A young plant germinated in a pot to be transplanted later.

An initial advantage over somebody else; a head start.

A happening or proceeding.

An instance of starting.

A projection or protrusion; that which pokes out.

A handle, especially that of a plough.

The curved or inclined front and bottom of a water wheel bucket.

The arm, or level, of a gin, drawn around by a horse.

(transitive) To begin, commence, initiate.

To set in motion.

To begin.

To ready the operation of a vehicle or machine.

To put or raise (a question, an objection); to put forward (a subject for discussion).

To bring onto being or into view; to originate; to invent.

(intransitive) To begin an activity.

(intransitive) To have its origin (at), begin.

To startle or be startled; to move or be moved suddenly.

(intransitive) To jerk suddenly in surprise.

(intransitive) To awaken suddenly.

(transitive) To disturb and cause to move suddenly; to startle; to alarm; to rouse; to cause to flee or fly.

(intransitive) To flinch or draw back.

(transitive) To move suddenly from its place or position; to displace or loosen; to dislocate.

(intransitive) To break away, to come loose.

To put into play.

To pour out; to empty; to tap and begin drawing from.

To start one's periods (menstruation).

To leap; to jump.

To move suddenly, as with a spring or leap, from surprise, pain, or other sudden feeling or emotion, or by a voluntary act.

To set out; to commence a course, as a race or journey; to begin; as, to start in business.

To become somewhat displaced or loosened; as, a rivet or a seam may start under strain or pressure.

To cause to move suddenly; to disturb suddenly; to startle; to alarm; to rouse; to cause to flee or fly; as, the hounds started a fox.

To bring into being or into view; to originate; to invent.

To cause to move or act; to set going, running, or flowing; as, to start a railway train; to start a mill; to start a stream of water; to start a rumor; to start a business.

To move suddenly from its place or position; to displace or loosen; to dislocate; as, to start a bone; the storm started the bolts in the vessel.

To pour out; to empty; to tap and begin drawing from; as, to start a water cask.

The act of starting; a sudden spring, leap, or motion, caused by surprise, fear, pain, or the like; any sudden motion, or beginning of motion.

A convulsive motion, twitch, or spasm; a spasmodic effort.

A sudden, unexpected movement; a sudden and capricious impulse; a sally; as, starts of fancy.

The beginning, as of a journey or a course of action; first motion from a place; act of setting out; the outset; - opposed to finish.

A tail, or anything projecting like a tail.

The handle, or tail, of a plow; also, any long handle.

The curved or inclined front and bottom of a water-wheel bucket.

The arm, or lever, of a gin, drawn around by a horse.

A Treaty between the United States and the Soviet Union which provided for stepwise reductions in the number of nuclear weapons possessed by each country.

The beginning of anything;

The time at which something is supposed to begin;

A turn to be a starter (in a game at the beginning);

A sudden involuntary movement;

The act of starting something;

A line indicating the location of the start of a race or a game

A signal to begin (as in a race);

Advantage gained by an early start as in a race;

Take the first step or steps in carrying out an action;

Set in motion, cause to start;

Leave;

Have a beginning, in a temporal, spatial, or evaluative sense;

Bring into being;

Get off the ground;

Move or jump suddenly, as if in surprise or alarm;

Get going or set in motion;

Begin or set in motion;

Begin work or acting in a certain capacity, office or job;

Play in the starting line-up

Have a beginning characterized in some specified way;

Begin an event that is implied and limited by the nature or inherent function of the direct object;