The word commencement is actually derived from a 13th century French word meaning beginning or start. You see, commencement isn't the celebration of an ending it's the celebration of a new beginning. As students, when you commence, you actually begin a new chapter in your life.

Does commence mean start or end?

If a congressman wants to start a meeting to vote on an important bill, he might say, "This meeting will begin immediately." Or, he could make the same statement in a more formal way by saying, "This meeting will commence immediately." Interestingly enough, while the word commence means to start, a commencement ...

What is a good synonym for commence?