initiate

American  

[ih-nish-ee-eyt, ih-nish-ee-it, -eyt] / ɪˈnɪʃ iˌeɪt, ɪˈnɪʃ i ɪt, -ˌeɪt /

verb (used with object)

initiated, initiating

1. to begin, set going, or originate.

   to initiate major social reforms.

   Synonyms:

   open, inaugurate, introduce, commence

   Antonyms:

   conclude

2. to introduce into the knowledge of some art or subject.

   Synonyms:

   train, indoctrinate, instruct, teach

3. to admit or accept with formal rites into an organization or group, secret knowledge, adult society, etc.

4. Government. to propose (a measure) by initiative procedure.

   to initiate a constitutional amendment.

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adjective

1. admitted into an organization or group, secret knowledge, etc.

2. introduced to the knowledge of a subject.

3. initiated; begun.

   the recently initiate measures.

noun

1. a person who has been initiated.

initiate British  

verb

1. to begin or originate

2. to accept (new members) into an organization such as a club, through often secret ceremonies

3. to teach fundamentals to

   she initiated him into the ballet

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adjective

1. initiated; begun

noun

1. a person who has been initiated, esp recently

2. a beginner; novice

Related Words

See begin.

Other Word Forms

• initiator noun
• noninitiate noun
• preinitiate verb (used with object)
• reinitiate verb (used with object)
• uninitiate adjective

Etymology

Origin of initiate

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Latin initiātus, past participle of initiāre “to ritually initiate, admit,” equivalent to initi(um) “beginning” + -ātus past participle suffix; initial, -ate ¹

Explanation

If you want to end the feud between your siblings, you might need to initiate peace talks — and come up with a fair way to decide who gets the top bunk. As a verb, initiate means to start. As a noun, initiate refers to someone who has been inducted into a group. Initiate is tricky because you pronounce the last bit one way as a verb (i-ni-she-ate) and another when it's a noun (i-ni-she-at). If you're an initiate, you've been introduced to a field of study, an activity, a club, etc. As a verb, to initiate is to begin, pioneer, or broach a topic. You might say, "Let's initiate the swearing-in ceremony so our new initiates can join the Rule-Breakers' Club and still get home without missing their curfews."

Example Sentences

Tuft cells act as detectors that sense parasites and initiate immune defenses.

From Science Daily • Mar. 28, 2026

It will likely initiate a cosmic shift in ongoing trade, diplomatic and military relationships with many countries, particularly the North Atlantic Treaty Organization signatories.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026

This month, I contacted Fidelity to initiate the rollover.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026

Another potential change would “clarify and strengthen” the police chief’s ability to “to initiate and pursue the removal of officers with documented, repeated histories of harm or misconduct.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 13, 2026

If I were a publisher, I would immediately initiate a series of books for kids who have to cope with the death of their mother or father.

From "Counting by 7s" by Holly Goldberg Sloan

Related Words

• begin
• commence
• inaugurate
• institute
• launch
• open
• set up
• take up
• trigger