First Known Use: 15th century
Dictionary
inception
noun in·cep·tion \in-ˈsep-shən\
: the time at which something begins
Full Definition of INCEPTION
: an act, process, or instance of beginning : commencement
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Origin of INCEPTION
Middle English incepcion, from Latin inception-, inceptio, from incipere to begin, from in- + capere to take
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Synonym Discussion of INCEPTION
origin, source, inception, root mean the point at which something begins its course or existence. origin applies to the things or persons from which something is ultimately derived and often to the causes operating before the thing itself comes into being <an investigation into the origin of baseball>. source applies more often to the point where something springs into being <the source of the Nile> <the source of recurrent trouble>. inception stresses the beginning of something without implying causes <the business has been a success since its inception>. root suggests a first, ultimate, or fundamental source often not easily discerned <the real root of the violence>.
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