Com-mĕnçe'ment, n.
n. [Fr. commencement, Pr. comensamen, It. cominciamento.]
Sense 1. The first existence of any thing; rise; origin; beginning.
The time of Henry VII. . . . nearly coincides with the commencement of what is termed “modern history.” Hallam.
Sense 2. The day when degrees are conferred by colleges and universities upon students and others.