initiate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to begin, set going, or originate.
to initiate major social reforms.
- Synonyms:
- open, inaugurate, introduce, commence
- Antonyms:
- conclude
-
to introduce into the knowledge of some art or subject.
- Synonyms:
- train, indoctrinate, instruct, teach
-
to admit or accept with formal rites into an organization or group, secret knowledge, adult society, etc.
-
Government. to propose (a measure) by initiative procedure.
to initiate a constitutional amendment.
adjective
-
admitted into an organization or group, secret knowledge, etc.
-
introduced to the knowledge of a subject.
-
initiated; begun.
the recently initiate measures.
noun
verb
-
to begin or originate
-
to accept (new members) into an organization such as a club, through often secret ceremonies
-
to teach fundamentals to
she initiated him into the ballet
adjective
noun
-
a person who has been initiated, esp recently
-
a beginner; novice
Synonym Usage
See begin.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
initiatornoun
-
preinitiatenoun
-
noninitiatenoun
-
reinitiateverb (used with object)
-
preinitiateverb (used with object)
-
uninitiateadjective
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have initiatedperfect
-
has initiatedperfect 3rd person singular
-
has been initiatingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
-
am initiatingprogressive 1st person singular
-
are initiatingprogressive
-
initiatessingular 3rd person
-
have been initiatingperfect progressive
-
initiatingparticiple
-
is initiatingprogressive 3rd person singular
Past
-
had initiatedperfect
-
was initiatingprogressive singular
-
were initiatingprogressive plural
-
initiatedsimple
-
had been initiatingperfect progressive
-
initiatedparticiple
Future
Etymology
Origin of initiate
First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin initiātus, past participle of initiāre “to ritually initiate, admit,” equivalent to initi(um) “beginning” + -ātus past participle suffix; see initial, -ate 1
Explanation
If you want to end the feud between your siblings, you might need to initiate peace talks — and come up with a fair way to decide who gets the top bunk. As a verb, initiate means to start. As a noun, initiate refers to someone who has been inducted into a group. Initiate is tricky because you pronounce the last bit one way as a verb (i-ni-she-ate) and another when it's a noun (i-ni-she-at). If you're an initiate, you've been introduced to a field of study, an activity, a club, etc. As a verb, to initiate is to begin, pioneer, or broach a topic. You might say, "Let's initiate the swearing-in ceremony so our new initiates can join the Rule-Breakers' Club and still get home without missing their curfews."
Vocabulary lists containing initiate
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
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Achievement First 5th Grade IA 1 Words
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The Hate U Give
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The FCC then used the fact that other affiliates filed as a reason to initiate this investigation against the one Disney-owned station.
From Slate • Jun. 2, 2026
But guessing which companies will initiate their first dividend can be a way to get in on the ground floor.
From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026
Baseball’s current collective bargaining agreement expires about a month after the World Series, at which point owners are all but certain to initiate a lockout that could threaten the 2027 season.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026
The FDA recently authorized the company to initiate an expanded access treatment protocol for daraxonrasib for eligible patients.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 1, 2026
Somehow I am the first initiate in line, right in front of Uriah.
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
