Word of the Week – Recommence

DEFINITION:

verb

begin or cause to begin again

Related to the word ‘commence’ which means to begin.  The prefix ’re’ often has the meaning again.

CHARACTERISTICS Example in a sentence:

After a short rest, she recommenced her climb.

The discussion would recommence after lunch.

EXAMPLES (synonyms):

continue

recover

make a comeback

restart

resume

NON-EXAMPLES (antonyms):

complete

end

finish

Do you know the idiom ‘back to square one’?

When we say ‘back to square one’ we mean back to the beginning to start again. We normally use this phrase to refer to starting again when our previous attempt has failed.

Origin – the story:

There is some uncertainty about the origin, but three possible origins are thought to be: the game of snakes and ladders, the game of hopscotch or early radio commentaries about football.

Example: If we cannot reach an agreement today, I fear we’ll be back to square one.