inaugurate

[in-aw-gyuh-reyt, -guh-]

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verb (used with object), in·au·gu·rat·ed, in·au·gu·rat·ing.

to make a formal beginning of; initiate; commence; begin: The end of World War II inaugurated the era of nuclear power.

to induct into office with formal ceremonies; install.

to introduce into public use by some formal ceremony: Airmail service between Washington, D.C., and New York City was inaugurated in 1918.

Origin of inaugurate

1595–1605; < 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, augur¹, -ate¹

Related formsin·au·gu·ra·tor, nounpre·in·au·gu·rate, verb (used with object), pre·in·au·gu·rat·ed, pre·in·au·gu·rat·ing.re·in·au·gu·rate, verb (used with object), re·in·au·gu·rat·ed, re·in·au·gu·rat·ing.un·in·au·gu·rat·ed, adjectivewell-in·au·gu·rat·ed, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for inaugurated

introduced, initiated, begun

Examples from the Web for inaugurated

Contemporary Examples of inaugurated

George Washington had walked there to pray after he was inaugurated the first President of the United States.
The Resilient City: New York After 9/11
John Avlon
September 11, 2014
Beginning in 1318, it inaugurated the gradual demise of Telugu sovereignty.
India’s Newest State Telangana Is Bosnia Redux
Kranti Rai
March 22, 2014
Needham points out that Cruz was 10 when Reagan was inaugurated and that Mitt Romney was an independent when Reagan was president.
Heritage Action, the Group Giving Boehner Fits, and Its Confident CEO
Eleanor Clift
October 10, 2013
"Faversham just inaugurated a ‘Southcliffe Walk’, where you can go around the sites of the shooting," he says.
British Crime Dramas Explore the Dark Side of Small Town Life
Soraya Roberts
September 13, 2013
In 2012, Scandinavian Airlines inaugurated two daily, direct routes: from Beijing and Shanghai to Copenhagen.
The Surprising Reasons the Chinese Love the Little Mermaid
Chantel Tattoli
August 25, 2013

Historical Examples of inaugurated

An era of railroad speculation was then inaugurated, which ended with the crisis of 1873.
The Railroad Question
William Larrabee
The picture had brought about an evolution in art, for it had inaugurated a new formula.
His Masterpiece
Emile Zola
Similar activities have recently been inaugurated in other countries.
College Teaching
Paul Klapper
In some states the agricultural colleges have inaugurated a movement to this end.
Rural Life and the Rural School
Joseph Kennedy
In November he was elected and March 4, 1861, he was inaugurated.
Boy Scouts Handbook
Boy Scouts of America

British Dictionary definitions for inaugurated

inaugurate

verb (tr)

to commence officially or formally; initiate

to place in office formally and ceremonially; induct

to open ceremonially; dedicate formallyto inaugurate a factory

Derived Formsinauguration, nouninaugurator, nouninauguratory (ɪnˈɔːɡjʊrətərɪ, -trɪ), adjective

Word Origin for inaugurate

C17: from Latin inaugurāre, literally: to take omens, practise augury, hence to install in office after taking auguries; see in- ², augur

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for inaugurated

inaugurate

c.1600, a back-formation from inauguration and also from Latin inauguratus, past participle of inaugurare (see inauguration). Related: Inaugurated; inaugurating.