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
Related Words
See begin.
Other Word Forms
- initiator noun
- noninitiate noun
- preinitiate verb (used with object)
- reinitiate verb (used with object)
- uninitiate adjective
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; initial, -ate 1
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.
That seems particularly the case with agents, which are AI systems empowered to take actions on behalf of a user, like booking an airfare or initiating a refund on a purchase.
I smile and my butterflies get ready to initiate their symphony.
From Literature
He moved past familiar passages: how to call up the realms, how to initiate a Recollection, how to comfort a grieving soul.
From Literature
In a statement, ICE said staff found Ramos-Solano unresponsive in his bunk and immediately initiated life-saving measures, including CPR, while calling emergency services.
From Los Angeles Times
Tuft cells act as detectors that sense parasites and initiate immune defenses.
From Science Daily
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.
