Commencement1. (n.) The first existence of anything; act or fact of commencing; rise; origin; beginning; start.
2. (n.) The day when degrees are conferred by colleges and universities upon students and others.
Thesaurus Entries
A, alpha, baccalaureate service, beginning, birth, blast-off, celebration, ceremonial, ceremony, conception, convocation, creation, cutting edge, dawn, dawning, derivation, edge, empty formality, establishment, exercise, exercises, flying start, formal, formality, foundation, fresh start, function, genesis, graduation, graduation exercises, grass roots, head, inaugural, inauguration, inception, initiation, institution, jump-off, kick-off, leading edge, liturgy, mummery, new departure, observance, office, oncoming, onset, opening, origin, original, origination, outbreak, outset, outstart, performance, provenience, radical, radix, religious ceremony, rise, rite, rite de passage, rite of passage, ritual, root, running start, send-off, service, setting in motion, setting-up, solemnity, solemnization, source, square one, start, start-off, starting point, stem, stock, take-off, taproot