What does “undertake” mean?
- 1
verbto accept and start a task or responsibility
The university is undertaking a major study of sleep.
- 2
verbto promise formally to do something
He undertook to repay the loan within a year.
Undertake at a glance
- Part of speech
- verb
- CEFR level
- C1 (advanced)
- Pronunciation
- /ˌʌndərˈteɪk/ · un-der-TAYK
- Forms
- undertook, undertaken
How to use “undertake” correctly
An “undertaking” is a big task, but an “undertaker” is a person who arranges funerals.
Common phrases with “undertake”
- undertake research
- undertake a project
- undertake a task
- undertake to do
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- take on
- carry out
- pledge
Word family
- undertaking
- undertaker
“undertake” is on these word lists
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