commence in WordNet English dictionary

1. take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
   "We began working at dawn"; "Who will start?"; "Get working as soon as the sun rises!"; "The first tourists began to arrive in Cambodia"; "He began early in the day"; "Let's get down to work now"
   get down  begin  get  start out  start  set about  set out  commence 
   
2. set in motion, cause to start
   "The U.S. started a war in the Middle East"; "The Iraqis began hostilities"; "begin a new chapter in your life"
   begin  lead off  start  commence 
   
3. get off the ground
   "Who started this company?"; "We embarked on an exciting enterprise"; "I start my day with a good breakfast"; "We began the new semester"; "The afternoon session begins at 4 PM"; "The blood shed started when the partisans launched a surprise attack"
   start  start up  embark on  commence