v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Commenced p. pr. & vb. n. Commencing. ] [ F. commencer, OF. comencier, fr. L. com- + initiare to begin. See Initiate. ] 1. To have a beginning or origin; to originate; to start; to begin. [ 1913 Webster ]

Here the anthem doth commence. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

His heaven commences ere the world be past. Goldsmith. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To begin to be, or to act as. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

We commence judges ourselves. Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To take a degree at a university. [ Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

I question whether the formality of commencing was used in that age. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To enter upon; to begin; to perform the first act of. [ 1913 Webster ]

Many a wooer doth commence his suit. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ It is the practice of good writers to use the verbal noun (instead of the infinitive with to) after commence; as, he commenced studying, not he commenced to study. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. commencement. ] 1. The first existence of anything; act or fact of commencing; rise; origin; beginning; start. [ 1913 Webster ]

The time of Henry VII. . . . nearly coincides with the commencement of what is termed “modern history.” Hallam. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The day when degrees are conferred by colleges and universities upon students and others. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Commended; p. pr. & vb. n. Commending. ] [ L. commendare; com- + mandare to intrust to one's charge, enjoin, command. Cf. Command, Mandate. ] 1. To commit, intrust, or give in charge for care or preservation. [ 1913 Webster ]

His eye commends the leading to his hand. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. Luke xxiii. 46. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To recommend as worthy of confidence or regard; to present as worthy of notice or favorable attention. [ 1913 Webster ]

Among the objects of knowledge, two especially commend themselves to our contemplation. Sir M. Hale. [ 1913 Webster ]

I commend unto you Phebe our sister. Rom. xvi. 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To mention with approbation; to praise; as, to commend a person or an act. [ 1913 Webster ]

Historians commend Alexander for weeping when he read the actions of Achilles. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To mention by way of courtesy, implying remembrance and good will. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Commend me to my brother. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Commendation; praise. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Speak in his just commend. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. pl. Compliments; greetings. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Hearty commends and much endeared love to you. Howell. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Formerly accented on the first syllable.) [ L. commendabilis. ] Worthy of being commended or praised; laudable; praiseworthy. [ 1913 Webster ]

Order and decent ceremonies in the church are not only comely but commendable. Bacon.

-- Com*mend"a*ble*ness, n. -- Com*mend"a*bly, adv. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. dare in commendam to give into trust. ] (Eng. Eccl. Law) A vacant living or benefice commended to a cleric (usually a bishop) who enjoyed the revenue until a pastor was provided. A living so held was said to be held in commendam. The practice was abolished by law in 1836. [ 1913 Webster ]

There was [ formerly ] some sense for commendams. Selden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Partnership in commendam. See under Partnership. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. commendataire, LL. commendatarius. ] One who holds a living in commendam. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. commendatio. ] 1. The act of commending; praise; favorable representation in words; recommendation. [ 1913 Webster ]

Need we . . . epistles of commendation? 2 Cor. iii. 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

By the commendation of the great officers. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which is the ground of approbation or praise. [ 1913 Webster ]

Good nature is the most godlike commendation of a man. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. pl. A message of affection or respect; compliments; greeting. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Hark you, Margaret;
No princely commendations to my king? Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. ] One who holds a benefice in commendam; a commendatary. Chalmers. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. commendatorius. ] 1. Serving to commend; containing praise or commendation; commending; praising. “Commendatory verses.” Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Holding a benefice in commendam; as, a commendatory bishop. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

Commendatory prayer (Book of Common Prayer), a prayer read over the dying. “The commendatory prayer was said for him, and, as it ended, he [ William III. ] died.” Bp. Burnet. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A commendation; eulogy. [ R. ] “Commendatories to our affection.” Sharp. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who commends or praises. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. commensalis; L. com- + mensa table: cf. F. commensal. Cf. Mensal. ] 1. One who eats at the same table. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) An animal, not truly parasitic, which lives in, with, or on, another, partaking usually of the same food. Both species may be benefited by the association. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having the character of a commensal. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of eating together; table fellowship. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Fellowship at table; the act or practice of eating at the same table. [ Obs. ] “Promiscuous commensality.” Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Commensality. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Daniel . . . declined pagan commensation. Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. commensurabilité. ] The quality of being commensurable. Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. commensurabilis; pref. com- + mensurable. See Commensurate, and cf. Commeasurable. ] Having a common measure; capable of being exactly measured by the same number, quantity, or measure. -- Com*men"su*ra*ble*ness, n. [1913 Webster]

Commensurable numbers or
Commensurable quantities (Math.), those that can be exactly expressed by some common unit; thus a foot and yard are commensurable, since both can be expressed in terms of an inch, one being 12 inches, the other 36 inches. --
Numbers commensurable in power, or
Quantities commensurable in power, those whose squares are commensurable. [1913 Webster]

adv. In a commensurable manner; so as to be commensurable. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Commensurated; p. pr. & vb. n. Commensurating. ] [ Pref. com- + mensurate. ] 1. To reduce to a common measure. Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To proportionate; to adjust. T. Puller [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Having a common measure; commensurable; reducible to a common measure; as, commensurate quantities. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Equal in measure or extent; proportionate. [ 1913 Webster ]

Those who are persuaded that they shall continue forever, can not choose but aspire after a happiness commensurate to their duration. Tillotson. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. 1. In a commensurate manner; so as to be equal or proportionate; adequately. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. With equal measure or extent. Goodwin. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state or quality of being commensurate. Foster. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. commensuration. ] The act of commensurating; the state of being commensurate. [ 1913 Webster ]

All fitness lies in a particular commensuration, or proportion of one thing to another. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Commented; p. pr. & vb. n. Commenting. ] [ F. commenter, L. commentari to meditate upon, explain, v. intens. of comminisci, commentus, to reflect upon, invent; com- + the root of meminisse to remember, mens mind. See Mind. ] To make remarks, observations, or criticism; especially, to write notes on the works of an author, with a view to illustrate his meaning, or to explain particular passages; to write annotations; -- often followed by on or upon. [ 1913 Webster ]

A physician to comment on your malady. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Critics . . . proceed to comment on him. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

I must translate and comment. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To comment on. [ Archaic. ] Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. comment. ] 1. A remark, observation, or criticism; gossip; discourse; talk. [ 1913 Webster ]

Their lavish comment when her name was named. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A note or observation intended to explain, illustrate, or criticise the meaning of a writing, book, etc.; explanation; annotation; exposition. [ 1913 Webster ]

All the volumes of philosophy,
With all their comments. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Commentaries [ L. commentarius, commentarium, note book, commentary: cf. F. commentaire. See Comment, v. i. ] 1. A series of comments or annotations; esp., a book of explanations or expositions on the whole or a part of the Scriptures or of some other work. [ 1913 Webster ]

This letter . . . was published by him with a severe commentary. Hallam. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A brief account of transactions or events written hastily, as if for a memorandum; -- usually in the plural; as, Caesar's Commentaries on the Gallic War. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A single essay, written or spoken, discussing or explaining a topic, especially regarding a recent event; as, the election report was followed by several commentaries from political analysts. [ PJC ]

4. Something considered as exemplifying or ilustrating a point or opinion; as, the California recall vote is a sad commentary on the frivolous approach of people to politics. [ PJC ]

v. t. & i. [ L. commentatus, p. p. of commentari to meditate. ] To write comments or notes upon; to make comments. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Commentate upon it, and return it enriched. Lamb. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The act or process of commenting or criticising; exposition. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The spirit of commentation. Whewell. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The result of the labors of a commentator. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. commentator: cf. F. commentateur. ] One who writes a commentary or comments; an expositor; an annotator. [ 1913 Webster ]

The commentator's professed object is to explain, to enforce, to illustrate doctrines claimed as true. Whewell. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to the making of commentaries. Whewell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The office or occupation of a commentator. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who makes or writes comments; a commentator; an annotator. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. commentitius. ] Fictitious or imaginary; unreal; as, a commentitious system of religion. [ Obs. ] Warburton. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. (Computer science) To add symbols in the code of a computer program to convert (one or more lines of programming statements) from executable instructions to comments; used to make program statements inoperable without removing them permanently, such as for temporary testing of alternative methods or to leave the original lines in as explanatory comments. [ PJC ]

v. t. 1. To mention with disapprobation; to blame; to disapprove. [ R. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

By commending something in him that is good, and discommending the same fault in others. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To expose to censure or ill favor; to put out of the good graces of any one. [ 1913 Webster ]

A compliance will discommend me to Mr. Coventry. Pepys. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Deserving, disapprobation or blame. -- Dis`com*mend"a*ble*ness, n. [1913 Webster]

n. Blame; censure; reproach. [ R. ] Ayliffe. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who discommends; a dispraiser. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖ [ See Commendam. ] (Law) See Commendam, and Partnership in Commendam, under Partnership. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. incommensurabilité. ] The quality or state of being incommensurable. Reid. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. in- not + commensurable: cf. F. incommensurable. ] Not commensurable; having no common measure or standard of comparison; as, quantities are incommensurable when no third quantity can be found that is an aliquot part of both; the side and diagonal of a square are incommensurable with each other; the diameter and circumference of a circle are incommensurable. [ 1913 Webster ]

They are quantities incommensurable. Burke.

-- In`com*men"su*ra*ble*ness, n. -- In`com*men"su*ra*bly, adv. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One of two or more quantities which have no common measure. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Not commensurate; not admitting of a common measure; incommensurable. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Not of equal of sufficient measure or extent; not adequate; as, our means are incommensurate to our wants.

Syn. -- Inadequate; insufficient; disproportionate.

-- In`com*men"su*rate*ly, adv. -- In`com*men"su*rate*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To commence or begin again. Howell. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To begin anew to be; to act again as. [ Archaic. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

He seems desirous enough of recommencing courtier. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Pref. re- + commence: cf. F. recommencer. ] To commence again or anew. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A commencement made anew. [ 1913 Webster ]