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in the beginning

in the beginning

246 1.4
At the start of something
  • idiom
translation icon : al principio
  • In the beginning, it is important to establish clear goals for the project.
  • at least in the beginning
  • in the beginning stages
  • in the beginning of the story

Should people stick with one genre in the beginning when they're learning?

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Examples

  • In the beginning, you were just a little grub on my back.

  • You know, in the beginning, it was very tough.

  • But they had this rule in the beginning of Google.

  • Yeah, it's hard in the beginning, but the answer is both.

  • You know, in the beginning, yeah, those were my friends.

  • So as we started in the beginning, I want you to close your eyes again.

  • In the beginning, there was a question.

  • In the beginning, there was nothing.

  • In the beginning, the universe was in perfect balance, kept in peace and harmony by four magic books.

  • In the beginning, the provider said, "Let there be water," and the seas came forth.

Synonyms

at first
vsin the beginning
984 1.0

In the beginning before things change

is the neutral time phrase that also fits any early stage generally
in the first place
vsin the beginning
551 3.4

To give the main or first reason

focuses on timing at the start rather than on reasons or ordering
originally
vsin the beginning
543 2.0

At first, before later changes

covers that early state but also refers to the wider initial phase
initially
vsin the beginning
395 3.2

At first, before things change

also applies during the early stage after that first moment
to begin with
vsin the beginning
274 2.3

At the start before anything else happens

refers to the actual time at the start of an event
early on
vsin the beginning
193 2.5

Happens during the early stages of a process or activity

can mean the initial moment or any point within that early period
from the get-go
vsin the beginning
  • Informal
52 6.6

Right from the very start

is neutral and can also apply to later parts of the early phase
from the word go
vsin the beginning
  • Informal
3 5.3

From the very beginning of something

also covers later early phase use and does not require instant action
in initio
vsin the beginning
  • Literature
9.9

From the very beginning

is the plain neutral way to talk about the same time period

Antonyms

1 3.9

The place or moment when something finishes

How Early

from the get-go
  • Informal
52 6.6
in the beginning
246 1.4
initially
395 3.2
at first
984 1.0
later
1.0
eventually
3.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

in + the + beginning

The meaning 'at the start or during the initial stage' is directly and compositionally derived from the constituents 'in' (locative/temporal preposition) + 'the' (definite article) + 'beginning' (the initial part). This locative/temporal construction is a common, cross-linguistic pattern, so a B1 learner who knows the individual words will readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

In the beginning comes from how people start a story or an event: it points to the very first moment. Imagine reading the first line of a book or taking the first step on a journey; that first moment is the 'start', so the phrase means 'at the start' of something.