initiate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to begin, set going, or originate.
to initiate major social reforms.
- Synonyms:
- open, inaugurate, introduce, commence
- Antonyms:
- conclude
-
to introduce into the knowledge of some art or subject.
- Synonyms:
- train, indoctrinate, instruct, teach
-
to admit or accept with formal rites into an organization or group, secret knowledge, adult society, etc.
-
Government. to propose (a measure) by initiative procedure.
to initiate a constitutional amendment.
adjective
-
admitted into an organization or group, secret knowledge, etc.
-
introduced to the knowledge of a subject.
-
initiated; begun.
the recently initiate measures.
noun
verb
-
to begin or originate
-
to accept (new members) into an organization such as a club, through often secret ceremonies
-
to teach fundamentals to
she initiated him into the ballet
adjective
noun
-
a person who has been initiated, esp recently
-
a beginner; novice
Synonym Usage
See begin.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
initiatornoun
-
noninitiatenoun
-
preinitiatenoun
-
preinitiateverb (used with object)
-
reinitiateverb (used with object)
-
uninitiateadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
initiatesimple
-
initiatessimple
-
have initiatedperfect
-
has initiatedperfect
-
am initiatingprogressive
-
are initiatingprogressive
-
is initiatingprogressive
-
have been initiatingperfect progressive
-
has been initiatingperfect progressive
Past
-
initiatedsimple
-
had initiatedperfect
-
was initiatingprogressive
-
were initiatingprogressive
-
had been initiatingperfect progressive
Future
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; see 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."
Vocabulary lists containing initiate
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
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Achievement First 5th Grade IA 1 Words
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The Hate U Give
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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.
See Examples For:
A quorum is the minimum number of members who must be present for the commission to engage in rulemaking, issue final decisions in adjudications, initiate enforcement actions, and otherwise conduct business.
From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026
"We have declined to initiate a criminal investigation", the spokeswoman told AFP, adding there was not "sufficient" indication a crime had been committed.
From Barron's ● Jul. 10, 2026
Overall, the results suggest creatine could strengthen the immune system's anti-cancer defenses at multiple stages, beginning with the cells that detect cancer and initiate the body's response.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 8, 2026
The company said it will initiate a search of potential candidates to succeed Fitzpatrick as finance chief.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 17, 2026
He never asked me for my real name, or why a first-ranked initiate ended up in security and instruction instead of leadership.
From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
After hours, Ernst initiates his sideline in espionage, reporting to a consortium of international bankers and diplomats trying to prevent Europe from being toppled by revolutionaries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 26, 2026
Jefferies initiates its coverage of FedEx with a buy rating.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 24, 2026
Macquarie initiates coverage of JSW Energy with outperform rating and target price of 720.00 rupees.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
Barclays initiates coverage on IBM with an Overweight rating and a $350 price target.
From Barron's ● Jun. 1, 2026
They are the initiates, carrying torches, and Peter is at the front of the pack.
From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth
Last week, Deutsche Bank’s Edison Yu said SpaceX represents the “apex of civilizational ambition” as he initiated coverage with a $255-a-share price target.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 13, 2026
The two lead underwriters on SpaceX’s initial public offering, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, have a valuation gap of more than $1 trillion as they both initiated coverage at buy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Separately, RBC initiated coverage of SpaceX’s stock on Tuesday with a $225 price target, implying upside of 48% relative to current trading levels.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
Contact with 51-year-old Glasner, who left Palace at the end of last season, was initiated earlier this summer.
From BBC ● Jul. 6, 2026
Though he had ordered the bombing, Johnson wasn’t absolutely convinced the North Vietnamese had initiated another attack.
From "Boots on the Ground: America's War in Vietnam" by Elizabeth Partridge
Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his resignation, initiating a Labour Party leadership contest by summer recess.
From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026
US forces have disabled eight vessels and redirected 134 others since initiating the blockade on 13 April, according to Centcom.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
Navarro’s role in initiating the deal was not publicly disclosed.
From Salon ● May 31, 2026
“On the risk side, the challenge is that these flavors can be appealing to children. And even if these products are less risky than cigarettes, no kids should be initiating on these products.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026
Of course, it is true that in my brief career at Levy Pants, Limited, I have succeeded in initiating sev eral work-saving methods.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
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.
