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  

/ ɪˈnɪʃɪətɪv, -ˈnɪʃətɪv /

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

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Etymology

Origin of initiative

First recorded in 1785–95; initiate + -ive

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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 government touts the initiative as a significant "investment in Rwanda's future", slated for sometime in the early 2030s.

From Barron's ● Oct. 16, 2026

"This allows us to create the necessary conditions for subsequent successful operations, seize the initiative in battle, and plan future successful manoeuvres… each of these actions is a building block towards victory."

From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026

Just eight days before the vigil, Almontaser had publicly endorsed Mamdani’s new strategy to combat antisemitism—the same initiative that had helped provoke the student protest.

From Slate ● Oct. 15, 2026

GlobalFoundries plans to build two new semiconductor-manufacturing facilities in New York under a U.S.-Japanese initiative.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026

Although the council negotiated peace treaties, it could not declare war—that was left to the initiative of the leaders of each of Haudenosaunee’s constituent nations.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

Additional initiatives, including 15 new Olympic and Paralympic murals and disability arts celebrations, depend on further funding.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026

The effort comes as civil rights groups pursue their own election-protection initiatives, including Vote Safe, which has begun deploying trained community volunteers to polling locations in several battleground states.

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

Dennis Shea of the BPC said that among all the statewide housing-related ballot initiatives, Prop.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026

He created The Mitte Foundation as well, to support philanthropic efforts and community initiatives, using his platform "to challenge stereotypes and promote greater representation for people with disabilities", Reilly said.

From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026

As far as we can tell, changes in social patterns, the invention of new technologies and the settlement of alien habitats resulted from genetic mutations and environmental pressures more than from cultural initiatives.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari

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Related Words

• action
• drive
• leadership
• push

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