inaugurate

American  

[in-aw-gyuh-reyt, -guh-] / ɪnˈɔ gjəˌreɪt, -gə- /

verb (used with object)

• inaugurates,
  present (3rd person singular)
• inaugurated,
  past participle,  past
• inaugurating
  present participle

1. to make a formal beginning of; initiate; commence; begin.

   The end of World War II inaugurated the era of nuclear power.

2. to induct into office with formal ceremonies; install.

3. to introduce into public use by some formal ceremony.

   Airmail service between Washington, D.C., and New York City was inaugurated in 1918.

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inaugurate British  

/ ɪnˈɔːɡjʊˌreɪt, -trɪ, ɪnˈɔːɡjʊrətərɪ /

verb

1. to commence officially or formally; initiate

2. to place in office formally and ceremonially; induct

3. to open ceremonially; dedicate formally

   to inaugurate a factory

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Usage

What does inaugurate mean? Inaugurate most generally means to formally or officially take action to begin something. Close synonyms are the verbs initiate and commence. More specifically, inaugurate means to officially induct someone into a position with a formal ceremony. A close synonym of this sense of the word is install. The noun inauguration refers to the process of inaugurating or a ceremony in which a person or thing is inaugurated. Things involving or related to inauguration can be described with the adjective inaugural. U. S. presidents are inaugurated—officially inducted into office and sworn in—on Inauguration Day, on which they usually give their inaugural address (speech). Inaugurate can also mean to introduce something into use with a formal ceremony. A new factory or public building might be inaugurated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony or a dedication ceremony, for example. In every sense of the word, inaugurate implies at least some formality. Its general sense—meaning to initiate or commence—is typically used in the context of events considered important, such as historical eras, as in The rise of the empire inaugurated a period of renewed warfare. Example: In the U. S., presidents are elected in November, but their terms don’t officially begin until they are inaugurated in January.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• inauguration
  noun
• inaugurator
  noun
• preinaugurate
  verb (used with object)
• reinaugurate
  verb (used with object)
• inauguratory
  adjective
• uninaugurated
  adjective
• well-inaugurated
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Participles

• inaugurating
  present
• inaugurated
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• inaugurate
  simple
• inaugurates
  simple
• have inaugurated
  perfect
• has inaugurated
  perfect
• am inaugurating
  progressive
• are inaugurating
  progressive
• is inaugurating
  progressive
• have been inaugurating
  perfect progressive
• has been inaugurating
  perfect progressive

Past

• inaugurated
  simple
• had inaugurated
  perfect
• was inaugurating
  progressive
• were inaugurating
  progressive
• had been inaugurating
  perfect progressive

Future

• will inaugurate
  simple
• will have inaugurated
  perfect
• will be inaugurating
  progressive
• will have been inaugurating
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of inaugurate

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin inaugurātus, past participle of inaugurāre “to consecrate by augury (a person chosen for priesthood or other office),” literally, “to take auguries”); see in- ², augur ¹, -ate ¹

Explanation

To inaugurate means to start something, to give it a kick off. The opening day pep rally inaugurates the high school football season. Inaugurate comes from the Latin word augur, which means taking signs from birds, or telling the future. The Romans would always look for good omens to mark the beginning of something — a war, or a new emperor’s reign — so inaugurate became linked to new beginnings. While inaugurate has long been used in formal contexts, such as the swearing-in ceremony that inaugurates a President's term in office, the word is now also used casually. You might inaugurate your marathon training with a long run.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

inaugurate inaugurates inaugurated inaugurating

Finally, from 5,000 years ago, the Corded Ware people expanded out of the Russian steppe to inaugurate the European bronze age.

From Science Daily ● May 30, 2026

Modi and Macron will also inaugurate on Tuesday India's first helicopter final assembly line via videoconference from Mumbai, a joint venture between India's Tata Group and Airbus.

From Barron's ● Feb. 16, 2026

He launched his coup on 1 February 2021, the day Aung San Suu Kyi was due to inaugurate her new government.

From BBC ● Jan. 14, 2026

The truth is that the stock-market crash did not inaugurate the Great Depression, nor did people at the time believe that it did.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 10, 2025

The nation’s capital city was getting ready to inaugurate a new president the following month.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

With “Costume Art,” the exhibition that inaugurates a sweeping first-floor two-gallery space created for the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, the museum has made a milestone statement.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 9, 2026

Last week, Francis coughed repeatedly as he presided over Ash Wednesday services at a Roman church, and opted not to participate in the traditional procession that inaugurates the church’s Lenten season.

From Seattle Times ● Mar. 1, 2024

Titled “Artland: An Installation by Do Ho Suh and Children,” the show inaugurates the Norman M. Feinberg Gallery, just inside the entrance of the redesigned education center.

From New York Times ● Jan. 25, 2024

He won’t be back until October, when he inaugurates the orchestra’s fall season with a celebration of Frank Gehry and the 20th anniversary of Walt Disney Concert Hall.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2023

This victory inaugurates the entrance of the “aeon to come,” in which the faithful Jews would enter their inheritance.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 2 "Hearing" to "Helmond" by Various

British architect Edwin Lutyens was credited with blending European styles and Indian architectural motifs in the new imperial capital, which was inaugurated in 1931.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026

In January, Mamdani was inaugurated as one of New York City’s youngest-ever mayors and its first Muslim to hold the office.

From Salon ● Jun. 17, 2026

But creating a new award altogether is more of a rarity — the last time the academy did it was 2007, when it inaugurated the Honors Award to recognize programming that drives positive social change.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday brushed off suggestions that President Donald Trump was regularly dozing off during Cabinet meetings, as questions persist over the health of the oldest US president ever inaugurated.

From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026

Thupa Inka inaugurated the Inka custom of marrying his sister.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann

At the ceremony inaugurating the museum, Kim, who was accompanied by Russian officials, praised his troops’ “noble sacrifices and heroic military feats.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 15, 2026

Transport Minister Matteo Salvini is inaugurating infrastructure every week.

From Barron's ● Feb. 3, 2026

Airlines began trans-Atlantic jet passenger service in 1958, significantly cutting travel time and inaugurating a period of exponential growth in travel to Europe.

From New York Times ● Nov. 18, 2024

During his visit, Widodo is inaugurating several construction projects in Nusantara, including a water reservoir.

From Seattle Times ● Jun. 5, 2024

So at their suggestion, we are inaugurating the Manifest Herald’s Remember When contest.

From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool

Related Words

• commence
• dedicate
• induct
• initiate
• introduce
• launch
• open
• set up