initiative

American  

[ih-nish-uh-tiv, ih-nish-ee-uh-] / ɪˈnɪʃ ə tɪv, ɪˈnɪʃ i ə- /

noun

initiatives plural

1. an introductory act or step; leading action.

   to take the initiative in making friends.

2. readiness and ability in initiating action; enterprise.

   to lack initiative.

   Synonyms:

   dynamism, forcefulness, leadership

3. one's personal, responsible decision.

   to act on one's own initiative.

4. Government.

   1. a procedure by which a specified number of voters may propose a statute, constitutional amendment, or ordinance, and compel a popular vote on its adoption.

   2. the general right or ability to present a new bill or measure, as in a legislature.

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adjective

1. of or relating to formal admission or acceptance into a club or other group; signifying an initiation.

   The secret society's initiative events are best left undescribed.

2. serving to set in motion or initiate; introductory; beginning.

   Initiative steps were taken to stop manufacture of the drug.

initiative British  

/ -ˈnɪʃətɪv, ɪˈnɪʃɪətɪv /

noun

1. the first step or action of a matter; commencing move

   he took the initiative

   a peace initiative

2. the right or power to begin or initiate something

   he has the initiative

3. the ability or attitude required to begin or initiate something

4. government

   1. the right or power to introduce legislation, etc, in a legislative body

   2. the procedure by which citizens originate legislation, as in many American states and Switzerland

5. without being prompted

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adjective

1. of or concerning initiation or serving to initiate; initiatory

initiative Idioms  

1. see on one's own account (initiative); take the initiative.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• self-initiative
  noun
• superinitiative
  noun
• uninitiative
  adjective
• initiatively
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• initiatives
  plural

Etymology

Origin of initiative

First recorded in 1785–95; initiate + -ive

Explanation

Initiative is all about taking charge. An initiative is the first in a series of actions. Initiative can also mean a personal quality that shows a willingness to get things done and take responsibility. An initiative is the start of something, with the hope that it will continue. Government and business start initiatives all the time. You can also talk about initiative as a personal quality. A person with initiative is motivated to do things. If you take the initiative, you're willing to get things done on your own. Taking initiative can be risky: If you do something on your own initiative, then there's nobody you can blame if it goes wrong.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

initiative initiatives

The initiative, now in its third year, is aimed at providing a competitive environment for out-of-contract players keen to find a new club.

From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026

The details of the initiative were not immediately clear.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026

The American Heart Association's Healthy Smiles, Healthy Hearts™ initiative supports dental professionals with educational resources about the connection between oral and cardiovascular health.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 13, 2026

In April, Musk followed suit, announcing that Intel would join his ambitious Terafab manufacturing initiative to help “design, fabricate, and package ultra-high-performance chips at scale.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 11, 2026

It was this insight that drove my White House mentoring program, and it lay at the center of a new education initiative my staff and I were now preparing to launch, called Reach Higher.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

In addition to bankruptcy, a report from the website EV, citing people familiar with the matter, said Lucid was also considering further restructuring initiatives or going private.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026

Together he and Clinton cofounded and cochaired the Senate Manufacturing Caucus, traveled abroad together on congressional delegations, and partnered on climate policy and healthcare initiatives.

From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026

It's not clear if this is a direct result of government initiatives.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

The restriction also applies to citizen initiatives, which currently only need a simple majority vote to be approved.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026

PIH works closely with Harvard Medical School and the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and through their collaborative initiatives, a new generation of doctors and health specialists have chosen careers centered on infectious diseases.

From "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder and Michael French

Related Words

• action
• drive
• leadership
• push