initiator
Britishnoun
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a person or thing that initiates
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chem a substance that starts a chain reaction
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chem an explosive used in detonators
Other Word Forms
Explanation
The initiator is the one who starts it, whatever it is. The guy who shouts "Let's get this party started!" is the initiator. An initiator is an instigator, the one who begins something. Initiator comes from the Latin initiare, meaning “beginning.” The spark that lights the fuse is the initiator of the bomb’s explosion. John F. Kennedy was the initiator of the US Peace Corps. Hockey players are expert initiators of fights that, if happening on the street, would often result in the arrests of the participants.
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.
An initiator caspase first activates the pathway, followed by effector caspases that break apart proteins inside the doomed cell.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 18, 2026
He was an initiator of "Inked Without Regret", a 2020 declaration seen by the court as evidence of the subversive intentions of its signatories.
From Barron's ● Feb. 23, 2026
Ms Rowbotham said Carriera "became integral in popularising the use of pastels and as an initiator of the Rococo style and is remembered as one of the most successful female artists of any era".
From BBC ● Sep. 27, 2023
Both Tauber and Polinger acknowledge that the new beginning would not be possible without Maggie Mackay, executive director of the Vidiots Foundation since 2016 and main initiator of the reopening plan.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2023
As the initiator and inspirer of the expedition, Kane was the natural head of it, but there were difficulties in the way.
From Great Men and Famous Women. Vol. 6 A series of pen and pencil sketches of the lives of more than 200 of the most prominent personages in History by Charles F. (Charles Francis) Horne
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
