initiation
Americannoun
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formal admission or acceptance into an organization or club, adult status in one's community or society, etc.
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the ceremonies or rites of admission.
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the act of initiating.
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the fact of being initiated.
noun
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the act of initiating or the condition of being initiated
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the often secret ceremony initiating new members into an organization
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of initiation
First recorded in 1575–85, initiation is from the Latin word initiātiōn- (stem of initiātiō ). See initiate, -ion
Explanation
The initiation of something is the beginning. It's what sets events in motion, gets the party underway, or kicks off a new program. An initiation can also be an introduction into something, formally or informally. You might undergo an initiation ceremony when you join the Girl Scouts for the first time, or have a rude initiation into the world of traffic law when you get your first speeding ticket. But beware of the initiation rituals for college frats — you could find yourself swallowing a live goldfish or streaking across campus in your tighty-whiteys.
Vocabulary lists containing initiation
Divergent
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Long Way Down
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Purple Hibiscus
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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.
First, though, he gave Daniel Harding a proper L.A. initiation by taking the British conductor and soccer fan to a Dodger game.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
The initiation alone doesn’t fully explain the stock’s upward momentum.
From Barron's • Jun. 1, 2026
It responded after Netanyahu and his foreign minister issued a statement saying they had ordered the "initiation of a defamation lawsuit".
From BBC • May 15, 2026
In 2024, Goodwin Procter started a program called “Thriving with ADHD,” which addressed issues around task initiation, sleep, mental health and working with colleagues with ADHD.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 5, 2026
"I didn't know anything. Aaron and me—we went to this party. Only it wasn't a party, it was—it was an initiation."
From "Miracle's Boys" by Jacqueline Woodson
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.
