# Words You Think Mean the Opposite

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-think-mean-the-opposite/574725>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [March 15, 2011, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-think-mean-the-opposite/574725 "2011-03-15T01:17:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 6

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**Author:** ![Invisible\_Chimp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/f05b48/32.png) [@Invisible\_Chimp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Invisible_Chimp)\
**Post date:** [March 18, 2011, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-you-think-mean-the-opposite/574725/102 "2011-03-18T22:36:48Z")

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> [@Fear\_the\_Turtle](#):
>
> Commence/Commencement clearly means the end of something, right? Why else would you have a Commencement Ceremony and the end of high school/college?

My HS valedictorian talked about the correct meaning in his speech. I’ll never forget it now.

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