The Oxford Thesaurus An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms - beginning n.

1) start, commencement, outset, onset, inception, dawn, dawning, birth, genesis, origin, creation, day one; origination, source, well-spring: There are several competing theories about the beginning of life on earth. The beginning of the idea can be traced to Galileo. 2) opening, start, inception, commencement: I have plenty of energy at the beginning of the day. The book is good at the beginning, but then it gets boring.