Origin: Latin suffix -ment
Commencement has 4 different meanings across 1 category:
the time at which something is supposed to begin
"they got an early start"
"she knew from the get-go that he was the man for her"
an academic exercise in which diplomas are conferred
"The graduates filed into the stadium to attend the commencement, where they will receive their degrees."
the act of starting something
"he was responsible for the beginning of negotiations"
The first existence of anything; act or fact of commencing
"The commencement of the new era was marked by a ceremony celebrating the fresh start."
In plain English: Commencement means the official start of something, like when school begins for the first time.
"The official commencement ceremony for the graduating class took place in the stadium last weekend."
Usage: Commencement refers to the formal start of an event, such as graduation ceremonies at universities. It is often confused with commencement speech, which describes a specific address given during that opening ceremony rather than the event itself.
From French commencement; analyzable as commence + -ment.