What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
commence
Example
Let's commence the meeting with a brief introduction. [commence: verb]
Example
The graduation ceremony will commence at 10 am sharp. [commence: verb]
initiate
Example
She initiated a conversation with her new colleague. [initiated: past tense]
Example
The company plans to initiate a new marketing campaign next month. [initiate: verb]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Initiate is more commonly used than commence in everyday language. Initiate is versatile and covers a wider range of contexts, while commence is less common and tends to be used in more formal or ceremonial settings.
What’s the difference in the tone of formality between commence and initiate?
While commence is typically associated with a formal tone, initiate can be used in both formal and informal contexts, making it more versatile in terms of formality.
