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
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.
Initiate contact with your financial institution at its official phone number to ensure you’re talking to a legitimate representative, and verify whether there actually is an issue.
From Seattle Times • Aug. 30, 2023
“Explain why it is there. Expand testing fast to this group. Initiate contact tracing. Promote healthy sex and healthy hygiene practices. Get the damn vaccines into at-risk arms. Stigma is bad — infected is worse.”
From Washington Times • Aug. 9, 2022
Initiate conversations so as to hear him speak about the subjects you’re interested in.
From Slate • Oct. 5, 2020
Initiate a position in CBS, which just continues to find new ways to generate revenues from exisiting and old content.
From Forbes • Jul. 20, 2011
Initiate clothed, crowned, and celebrated the next day as his birthday, 389-m.
From Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry by Pike, Albert
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.
