start, onset, outset, commencement, inception, origin, opening, launch, kickoff, initiation
preface - foreword - prologue - opening - preamble - lead‑in - initiation - presentation - insertion - establishment - launch - outset - beginning
An introduction is the opening section of a text, speech, presentation, or event that prepares the audience for what follows. It usually provides context, states the main topic or purpose, and may outline the structure of the content. In written texts, it often appears as the first paragraph or chapter, while in speeches it is the initial part in which the speaker greets the audience and frames the subject. An introduction can also mean the act of presenting one person to another or to a group, helping establish first contact and basic familiarity.