What does undertake mean?
Definitions for undertake
ˌʌn dərˈteɪkun·der·take
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word undertake.
Princeton's WordNet
undertake, set about, attemptverb
enter upon an activity or enterprise
undertake, tackle, take onverb
accept as a challenge
"I'll tackle this difficult task"
undertake, guaranteeverb
promise to do or accomplish
"guarantee to free the prisoners"
contract, undertakeverb
enter into a contractual arrangement
undertake, take in chargeverb
accept as a charge
Wiktionary
undertakeverb
To take upon oneself; to start, to embark on (a specific task etc.).
He undertook a course of medication.
undertakeverb
To commit oneself (to an obligation, activity etc.).
He undertook to exercise more in future.
undertakeverb
to overtake on the wrong side.
I hate people who try and undertake on the motorway.
undertakeverb
To pledge; to assert, assure; to dare say.
undertakeverb
To take by trickery; to trap, to seize upon.
Etymology: From undertaken, equivalent to (after undernim).
Samuel Johnson's Dictionary
To Undertakeverb
preterite undertook; participle passive undertaken.
Etymology: underfangen, German.
The task he undertakes
Is numbring sands, and drinking oceans dry. William Shakespeare.Hence our gen’rous emulation came;
We undertook, and we perform’d the same. Wentworth Dillon.Fiercer than cannon, and than rocks more hard,
The English undertake th’ unequal war. Dryden.Of dangers undertaken, fame atchiev’d,
They talk by turns. Dryden.His name and credit shall you undertake,
And in my house you shall be friendly lodg’d. William Shakespeare.It is not fit your lordship should undertake every companion, that you give offence to. William Shakespeare, Cymbeline.
You’ll undertake her no more? William Shakespeare.
To th’ waterside I must conduct your grace,
Then give my charge up to Sir Nicholas Vaux,
Who undertakes you to your end. William Shakespeare, Hen. VIII.To Undertakeverb
O Lord, I am oppressed, undertake for me. Isa. xxxviii. 34.
I undertook alone to wing th’ abyss. John Milton.
It is the cowish terror of his spirit,
That dare not undertake. William Shakespeare, K. Lear.If the curious search the hills after rains, I dare undertake they will not lose their labour. John Woodward, Nat. Hist.
ChatGPT
undertake
To undertake is to commit oneself to a certain task, project or responsibility, or to embark on doing something, usually implying significant effort, planning, and intention. It often involves accepting responsibility for the end result.
Webster Dictionary
Undertakeverb
to take upon one's self; to engage in; to enter upon; to take in hand; to begin to perform; to set about; to attempt
Undertakeverb
specifically, to take upon one's self solemnly or expressly; to lay one's self under obligation, or to enter into stipulations, to perform or to execute; to covenant; to contract
Undertakeverb
hence, to guarantee; to promise; to affirm
Undertakeverb
to assume, as a character
Undertakeverb
to engage with; to attack
Undertakeverb
to have knowledge of; to hear
Undertakeverb
to take or have the charge of
Undertakeverb
to take upon one's self, or assume, any business, duty, or province
Undertakeverb
to venture; to hazard
Undertakeverb
to give a promise or guarantee; to be surety
Chambers 20th Century Dictionary
Undertake
un-dėr-tāk′, v.t. to take under one's management: to take upon one's self: to attempt: to answer for, warrant: to take in, understand: to assume, to have charge of.—v.i. to take upon one's self: to be bound: to manage all the arrangements of a burial.—adj. Undertā′kable, capable of being undertaken.—ns. Undertā′ker, one who undertakes, a projector, a contractor: one who is surety or guarantee for another: one who manages funerals: formerly a contractor for the royal revenue in England, one of those who undertook to manage the House of Commons for the king in the 'Addled Parliament' of 1614: one of the English and Scotch settlers in Ireland on forfeited lands in the 16th century; Undertā′king, that which is undertaken: any business or project engaged in.
British National Corpus
Verbs Frequency
Rank popularity for the word 'undertake' in Verbs Frequency: #346
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of undertake in Chaldean Numerology is: 7
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of undertake in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9
Examples of undertake in a Sentence
If I were just 80 years old, if I was 15 years younger, I don't believe I could undertake the duties I experienced when I was President.
The government of Iraq was of course briefed in advance of Secretary Carter's announcement, we will continue to work very, very closely with our Iraqi partners on exactly who would be deployed, where they would be deployed, what kinds of missions people would undertake, how they would support Iraqi efforts to degrade and destroy ISIL.
Most projects we undertake, particularly major acquisitions, require the support of -- or the ideas of -- each first lady, we are just beginning our work with the Bidens and I'm sure they will undertake important projects as all others have.
We don't think the Turks ought to undertake military action that's not fully coordinated with and agreed to by The US at a minimum so they don't endanger our troops -- but also so that they meet the President's requirement that the Syrian opposition forces that have fought with us are not endangered.
As the full historical record is now becoming known, it is clear that Richard Sackler supported Purdue's action plan for responding to the increasing evidence of widespread OxyContin abuse and diversion, that plan not only included cooperating with and following the instructions of public health authorities, but it went further to voluntarily undertake extensive efforts to prevent abuse and diversion of prescription opioids.
Popularity rank by frequency of use
References
Translations for undertake
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- قامArabic
- emprendreCatalan, Valencian
- ausführen, unternehmen, verpflichtenGerman
- entrepreniEsperanto
- emprender, comprometerseSpanish
- ryhtyä, ruvetaFinnish
- entreprendreFrench
- आरंभ करनाHindi
- intraprendereItalian
- 取り掛かるJapanese
- 맡다Korean
- adeoLatin
- ondernemenDutch
- empreenderPortuguese
- întreprindeRomanian
- предпринять, предпринимать, ручаться, поручитьсяRussian
- girişmek, üstlenmekTurkish
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"undertake." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/undertake>.
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