The Oxford Thesaurus An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms - begin v.

1) start (out or off or in or on) , initiate, enter on or upon, set out or about, set out on or upon, Rather formal commence: We began the journey full of enthusiasm. 2) start (off) , inaugurate, originate, open, launch, create, establish, found, set up; go into: We began the company five years ago. 3) arise, start, originate, Rather formal commence: The greatness of the Prussian monarchy begins with Frederick II. The paragraph begins in the middle of the page.