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imprendere

to undertake

verb eem-PREN-deh-reh Rare

Origin: Latin imprehendere (to take hold of, seize upon)

Also means

to set about

Usage Note

Imprendere is a formal or literary verb meaning to undertake or embark on an enterprise. It is the base from which imprenditore (entrepreneur) and impresa (enterprise, company) derive, but the verb itself is rarely used in modern speech — intraprendere is the common equivalent. Seeing imprendere in a text signals an elevated or archaic register.

Examples

"Decise di imprendere un lungo viaggio."

Natural Translation

He decided to undertake a long journey.

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